Dear Editor:
As we approach Veterans Day, I would like to remind your readers that this year marks the 100th anniversary of World War I, in which over 30 Hamilton County soldiers lost their lives. Their names are inscribed on the Veterans Memorial on the Hamilton County Courthouse grounds.
In September, the Horseshoe Prairie Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, held a commemoration and wreath laying ceremony which included the reading of those Hamilton County soldiers’ names who lost their lives in what has been called “The Great War.” The total number of military and civilian casualties in World War I was more than 41 million: there were over 18 million deaths and 23 million wounded, ranking it among the deadliest conflicts in human history.
The commemoration wreath remains at the Hamilton County Courthouse Square. As a descendant of a Patriot who fought that first conflict on behalf of our freedom, I encourage all Hamilton County residents to stop by and pay their respects and silently read the names inscribed on the monument.
Sharon McMahon
Vice Regent/Historian
Horseshoe Prairie Chapter
National Society Daughters of the American Revolution