Lloyd Linn

Lloyd Linn was my first cousin, twice removed, son of John August Linn and grandson of Gus and Catharina Linn.

During World War I, Lloyd entered service at Camp Dodge and later was stationed at Camp Funston at Ft. Riley, Manhattan, KS, in the 164th Depot Brigade. The role of depot brigades was to receive and organize recruits, provide them with uniforms, equipment and initial military training, and then send them to France to fight on the front lines. The depot brigades also received soldiers returning home at the end of the war and completed their out processing and discharges.

While he never served in active combat, Lloyd's assignment was of note for two reasons.

First, he was at Camp Funston in 1918, which was the epicenter of the pandemic influenza outbreak that killed so many recruits. Soldiers often came to the camp already infected, and the disease spread. But compared to some other bases, Camp Funston had just 239 confirmed cases per 1,000 soldiers. Lloyd likely did not contract the influenza or had a very mild case, and so was spared this very serious disease.

Second, his Brigade posed in 1918 for a picture that became a famous poster housed at the National Archives. It is said that 10,000 men of the 164th Depot Brigade, Camp Funston, near Fort Riley, Kansas, posed on the polo field, in formation of the Living Service Flag.

Does this story and photo remind you have the one taken at Camp Dodge, in which Peter and Frank Linn posed for the Statue of Liberty photo?

I've also found a letter written by Lloyd Linn that was published in the newspaper about his service.

Lloyd Linn died in 1964 and is buried in the Linn Cemetery. He never married.

Camp Funston