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From: "Divina Johnston" <>
Subject: Re: Great Uncle
Date: Sat, 25 Feb 2006 14:30:12 -0500
References: <001101c6395e$cb4873f0$0a02a8c0@yourrtmejesvbc>


Mary,

I believe that in earlier wars it was easier to get charged with desertion than nowadays. The military simply didn't have the resources to keep track of its personnel like they do today. I know that was certainly the case during the U.S. Civil War. I suspect there was still a lot of that going on during WWI.



I recently received the entire military jacket for my grand uncle. He served in the US Navy for about a year during WWI. Even before I received the jacket I knew he had been in a bit of trouble with the Navy. The invoice I received from our National Archives was for about $90... considering he enlisted in March 11, 1918 and went to inactive duty in Feb 21, 1919... $90 worth of copying accounts for a lot of documents for service of less than a year!

When I got his records, I found out his record was 'open' until 1921. Grand uncle too was 'AWOL' and was court-martialled. He was eventually acquitted, but his life was ruined. Apparently, even after his acquittal the navy took years to expunge his records. That delay significantly hampered his employability. In a post-WWI environment preference for employment was given to veterans and he didn't have a 'clean' record. Grand uncle Larry also managed to enlist twice (at least, he ended up with two records). This also caused him much trouble. My grand uncle died the 4th of July 1923 at age 32. I am still trying to find out the conditions leading to his death.



As for the VD, he was a single man probably living a 'single and enlisted' man's life during war. living each minute as his last. In those days they probably didn't have the resources to practice 'safe sex' like we do today. They probably didn't have any effective treatment either. I suspect the incidence of venereal diseases was quite high among the military in WWI.



Divina

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