Soldiers Depart for WW I:
Community rallies behind the War Efforts
The picture above was taken in 1918 at the park near Branson cemetary. The young man seated in the center front, Francis Jennings, was the first Taney County soldier killed on the battlefield.
As news of the United States' involvement in World War I spread after April 6, 1917, young men prepared to depart for the war. Some were drafted by the Selective Service; others volunteered to go. From all occupations, men capable of fighting left their homes and businesses to take part in the war efforts. Taney County contributed its share of the over 5 million United States soldiers in the war.
Back at home, families experienced hardship. Many farms and businesses were left; some times the sole provider for a family was gone from home, while his family was left to survive the best way they could. Still, enthusiasm for the war was high: residents listened intently for any news of the war and anxiously awaited letters that would tell them how their loved ones faired.
Most of the Taney County soldiers returned safely when the war was over. Still, some were killed in battle, as was Francis Jennings, whose remains were returned to Taney County on Jan. 27, 1922, by the Missouri Pacific train. Jennings was wounded by a three-inch shell on July 15, 1918, and died three days later. The reburial took place in the Snapp Cemetery, south of Forsyth (Ingenthron 417).
Below, enthusiastic residents meet at the train depot to bid farewell to the departing soldiers. Community gatherings such as this one were common displays of patriotism throughout the nation, intended to rallyspirits of both those departing and those left behind.
Works Cited
Ingenthron, Elmo. The Land of Taney: A History of an Ozark Commonwealth. Ozark Regional History Series. Book II. Point Lookout, MO: The School of the Ozarks P, 1974.
Photographs of World War I soldiers courtesy of Gaye Lisby, Branson Living magazine
