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

Our Veterans

Today, we commemorate the end of World War I. It's a day of reflection, appreciation, and remembrance. Recently, Myron told me how our grandfather, Peter Linn, and other men in his unit were about to leave their trenches to fight the Germans when they received notice to "stand down" as the war was over.  What might have happened if he and the other men with him had faced the Germans that day. Would he have survived? Married Maude? Had 5 sons? Would any of us be here?

And then on Monday, we celebrate Veterans Day, a day to remember all of our family and friends who have served in the military. We have several ancestors who have served, and today I'd like to use this post to mention several who served on behalf of the United States.

OUR SWEDISH MILITARY ANCESTORS
Name	Branch	Years of Service	Notable Details
Ivan Dean Linn	Navy	1952-54	Nickname “Fuzz”. Stationed at Patuxent River, Maryland. Entertained the troops with his renowned tap dancing skills
Ellis Edward Linn	Army	1953-1956	Stationed at Camp Kilmer, NJ; also Molesworth, England; built runways for the Air Force; organized a dance band in which he was the talented piano player
Stanley Elston Linn	Army Air Corps	1943-1946	Stationed in Florida; was a proficient mechanic working on fighter planes;
Peter Edward Linn	Army	1918-1919	Served in France with Company E, 349th Infantry, 88th Division
Frank Frederick Linn	Army	1918-1919	Served in France with Company C, 163rd Infantry, 41st Division
Guy Gustus Linn	Army	1918-1919	No information found
Lloyd Linn	Army	1918-1919	Company 4, 164th Depot Brigade
Arthur Sturtz	Army	1951-1953	Korean War; he was a corporal
Wallace E. Linn, Jr.	Army Air Corps; Air Force	1942-1945; 1953-1969	Served in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam; rose to be a Lieutenant Colonel
Jonathan Basket	Army	Unknown; Civil War	Company D, 10th Regiment, 8th Division; Union soldier; private
Gustus Magnus Linn	Army	1864-1865	Company D, Iowa 32nd Infantry, POW
Lewis Melker Linn	Army	1863-1865	39th Iowa Infantry; 7th Iowa Infantry; twice wounded during Sherman’s famous March to the Sea. Permanently disabled

With appreciation to each of these fine men for their service to our country!

In addition to these American service members, we have several soldiers who served in Sweden. And I have many Czech soldiers on my mother's side who also served here and in Europe. I thank each of these men for their service, loyalty and bravery.

And on a more personal note, this last week we saw a young, troubled, former Marine go to the Borderline in Thousand Oaks, California, and kill 12 people, mostly college students. This young man went to the same high school as my two sons, graduating 4 years after my youngest did. He lived with his mother just a block from where we raised our sons. The Borderline is about 5 miles from our home in California. We can't believe these horrors can happen where we live, but they do. Those from Columbine, Parkland, Sandy Hook, Las Vegas, Pulse, churches and synagogues, and now the Borderline, probably say the same thing. Yet, nothing changes. Whatever your politics, I hope we agree that what we are doing, or not doing, is not working. I pray for a day when we don't have to lower our nation's flag for these killings. I hope that our military men and women who come home broken and in need of help will receive it.