Taken from The WRite Stuff October 2018

2018 marks the 100th anniversary of the armistice that ended what was known as the Great War but is now sadly remembered as the First World War. It was supposed to be the war to end all wars but it didn't.

The Whiting Robertsdale Historical Society Museum has made a display of many of the items from their museum, including information from early Whiting newspapers about our community's part in the War effort and the display will run through November.

The display is at the Oliver Street entrance of the Whiting Public Library. Thanks to the Library and Mayor Joe, we at the museum are very happy to share what we have with the public.

"There's even a list of all the men who served and a list of those who died for their country," said Gayle Faulkner Kosalko.

There are sections of personal letters sent home from the war. The Whiting newspaper of the day actually printed these full letters for the public to read so they could get a true feeling for what their boys were fighting. You may not know, but our Community Center, now the YMCA, was built by John D. Rockefeller to honor our WWI veterans and in a photo seen in the display, you can see the many veterans that day it opened, wearing their uniforms. There are also war postcards and sheet music among the items on display.

If anyone has a photo of a relative who served in WWI, the museum would love to make a copy of it and use it, identified, in our display. Just give Gayle a call at 659-8129 or email her at puccini99@aol.com.

"This display is also a great way for you to share this history with your children and grandchildren," she said. "Put living in the trenches, shell shock, and all that these true heroes did in perspective for them and what the meaning of fighting for your country has been."

For stories on what WR families as the Walskos, the Canners and the Muldoons suffered from WWI to a number of other interesting articles by John Hmurovic on the War, please visit our website, wrhistoricalsociety.com.