Punch served by “two fair ladies” beneath a canopy, brick ice cream, patriotic contests and biblical quotations completed the evening. Friends said goodbye, “wishing them all the blessings that a good God can bestow,” the newspaper reported.

Short furloughs and letters home

In April 1918, the newspaper reported that Maynard was briefly home from Camp Doniphan. He had received two promotions and was a sergeant.

Parents and friends often shared soldiers’ letters with local newspapers to keep the community informed. In September 1918, after Maynard had been in France for several months, he wrote to his father:

“As everything is quiet I will let you know how all is getting along. Everyone is pretty well and getting along fine. We have been in the trenches for some time. It is now 1:30 a.m. I am on duty until daylight. It rains about half of the time and gets pretty sloppy in the trenches sometimes. I just heard a strange noise out in front of our post in the wire entanglement and went out to see if the guard was on the job. You know I want to know when Fritz is coming over so I can receive him properly, ha, ha! But you ought to see us go in the ground like a bunch of rats and say, the rats are as thick here as hops. I suppose you people receive some wild news about the happenings over here. Well, it is wild once in a while. There is so much we can’t write for fear it will be caught by a spy and give away our position.”

Trench warfare

Another local soldier wrote that his unit had been in the front-line trenches before being relieved by another battalion.

“We came back to this rest camp and now we are looking to go back again in a few days. We like to be in the trenches; would rather be up there than here drilling our heads off,” he wrote.

He also described the Duncan men’s assignments: “Bob and Everett Duncan are cooks now. Ben is in the snipers platoon, Maynard is Sergeant, Sanford is corporal and I am corporal. I would like to tell you our experience at the front line of trenches, but I can’t.”

The letter was signed by Cpl. Bryan Wilson, Company K, 139th Infantry, American Expeditionary Forces.

Maynard dies in the Argonne Forest

One of the most heartbreaking letters was written by Ben, Everett and Bob to tell their parents that Maynard had been killed in the Argonne Forest.

“Dear folks,

“We will try and write a few lines to break to you the sad news of the death of our beloved brother, Maynard. He was killed in action on the 28th day of September. I never got to see him at all. Everett was right behind him at the time and Sanford was wounded in the leg by the same shell; the rest of us made it fine. We went through one of the hardest battles which has been seen in this war. … Answer real soon, with love from all your loving sons, Ben, Everett and Bob.”

The newspaper also published a tribute from a friend, who wrote that Maynard had trained at the Military Academy at Camden Point and was among the first to offer his services when the country called. The friend said Maynard had recently completed officers’ training and was leading his men when he was killed.

The armistice

The newspaper later reported that on Oct. 1, the surviving soldiers left the Argonne sector and marched for a week before reaching the Verdun trenches. It said they endured shellfire and gas attacks for 25 days.

On Nov. 5, the 139th left the Verdun trenches and marched to St. Mihiel, where it was expected to begin an offensive toward Metz. The newspaper reported that the planned drive was canceled after the armistice was signed, ending the fighting before the regiment was ordered to advance.

The survivors come home

After the Nov. 11, 1918, armistice, the regiment returned to Camp Funston, Kansas. It was discharged May 8, 1919, the newspaper reported.

“Won’t talk about it”

A reporter who met the returning soldiers wrote that “modesty seems to be one of the chief characteristics” of the men, who were reluctant to discuss what they had experienced while “battling with the super-fiends ‘over there.’”

The description of their experiences as “heroic and thrilling” may not have reflected what the men had endured. After the battle in which Maynard was killed, one of his brothers returned to his body and searched his clothing for personal belongings to bring home to the family. The experience of war could be devastating for those who fought and for the families who mourned them.

Today, we recognize that traumatic experiences can contribute to post-traumatic stress disorder. This Veterans Day and every day, we honor those who have served, including the Duncan men who endured the horrors of war.