On This Date in Minnesota History: March 11

March 11, 1919 – More than 300 Minnesotans—men and women who had done more than their bit in every branch of the A. E. F., arrived in New York from France today aboard the transports Mount Vernon and Agamemnon. There were Minnesota relief workers, nurses, marines and doughboys in the group.

More than 100 Minnesota doughboys who had fought on every sector of the Western Front, arrived on the Agamemnon. All had been wounded. Most of them are now convalescent and soon will be discharged. They told thrilling stories of the Champagne, Chateau Thierry, and the Argonne. Ninety-six of the Minnesotans were in a casual company that had been at St. Aignan for many weeks. They charged that wounded were compelled to dig latrines there, and that conditions were unspeakable.

USS Agamemnon¹

Three nurses, the Misses Sophie Gran of Minneapolis, Minnie Nyberg of St. Paul and Elina Sahol of Fergus Falls, were members of mobile hospital unit No. 1, an Iowa unit, which was aboard the Mount Vernon. Red Cross workers aboard the Mount Vernon said they had been ordered not to give interviews to newspapermen in this country.

USS Mount Vernon²

More than 60 shell-shock victims came in on the Agamemnon, of which only three were Minnesotans.

The Minneapolis Morning Tribune; “100 Wounded Gopher Soldiers Reach U. S. Two Ships Bring 300 Minnesota Troops, Nurses and Relief Workers. Battle Victims From State Now on Mend. Soon to Be Discharged.”; March 12, 1919; p. 11.

¹http://www.shipscribe.com/usnaux/ww1/images/i05000/i05523.jpg

²http://www.shipscribe.com/usnaux/ww1/images/h63000/h63146.jpg

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