WWI RPPC Photo – South Dakota Quartermaster Veteran Identified


Balancing work life, house chores, being social, and collecting WWI photos can be a daunting task; too much investment in one area can lead to neglect in another.  As is the case of my life as of June, 2016.  Luckily, I’m making a solstice dedication (is that a thing?) to posting more of my identified material in hopes of reuniting family members with deceased relatives.

In tonight’s post, I’ve purchased and researched a photo in the course of one calendar week with some positive results.  As you may know, veterans with interesting surnames are typically easier to identify, and this post is an example of one of these researching ventures.

Quartermasterwebsized

Elmer Liebig (at left)

Elmer Reinhardt Liebig was born on November 1st, 1894 in Spink, South Dakota, the son of two German immigrants.  Having served in a Quartermaster unit during WWI, he went on to own and run a pool hall in his hometown for a number of years until operating as a salesman until the 1940s, where he eventually ended up with the South Dakota Department of Fish and Game, acting as a warden for Brookings an Moody Counties.

elmerliebig

WWII Draft Registration

Quartermaster

Full Photo Scan

WWI University of Vermont 1917 Alumni Navy Veteran – LOST AT SEA – Carroll Goddard Page UPDATE!


PortraitsofWar researched the collegiate times of Carroll Goddard Page back in August of 2011 in hopes of raising interest in the strange loss of the USS Cyclops; the presumed death of this UVM alumni during WWI was also a major focus of our research.  Since then, we’ve looked into various aspects of the University of Vermont during WWI with highlights including panoramic photos taken during the war years as well as photographs of local boys who served in France and Germany in 1917-1921 respectively.

Why an Update?

After seeing a recent eBay auction pass during a common search routine, PortraitsofWar’s author instantly recognized the sitter as Carroll Goddard Page.  What are the chances?  At a reasonable $11.73, we made the purchase in hopes of donating the image to the University of Vermont’s Special Collections unit located in the library.

purchase

eBay Purchase Title and Price

Cyclops037a

2016 eBay Purchase – Carroll Goddard Page

 

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The 2011 post below was created with scant information based on a visit to the UVM Library Annex (when it was still open to researchers) in hopes of tracking down students who served with distinction in WWI.  Our main focus that day was to research soldiers/sailors/marines/nurses who were wounded in action (WIA) or killed in action (KIA) during their period of service.  Interest was also paid to servicemen/women who died of disease or complications during their time in service.

 

Page in Washington, D.C – Courtesy of the University of Vermont Special Collections

One of the biggest mysteries of the US NAVY during WWI is the inexplicable loss of the USS Cyclops (AC-4) while transporting 300+ passengers/crew and a load of manganese ore from Brazil to Baltimore in 1918.  Carroll Goddard Page, UVM Class of 1917, was aboard as paymaster when the ship disappeared without a trace on March 4th, 1918.  Although a structural failure in the engine is likely the cause, we may never know the true reasons behind the disappearance.
Carroll was a member of the Class of 1917, originally from Hyde Park, he studied business and banking at UVM.  His nickname was “flunko”, and his ambitions at UVM included “raising a mustache that resembles a cross between the Kaiser’s and a hair-lip.”

1917 Yearbook Entry

Carroll’s UVM Alumni Database Entry

Delta_Psi_in_1916

Carroll and Delta Psi in 1916

Special thanks to the University of Vermont Special Collections!

WWI Photo Post – Lincoln Leslie Loper w/ Gas Mask Returns Home From France January 1919


Lincoln Leslie Loper served in France with a military medical unit during the last year of WWI.  Born and raised in Iowa, Loper  eventually worked his way to Washington, living in Seattle as early as 1942.  It’s tough to trace an individual based on scant information, but I’ve been able to deduce that he passed away in 1972 based on his military records.

Lincoln L. Loper in a Gas Mask, 1919

Lincoln L. Loper in a Gas Mask, 1919

LIncoln Loper Postcard Backside

Lincoln Loper Postcard Backside