Labor Battalions and WWI

72 years ago today, my great-grandfather Ed Hasting passed away. On December 4th, 1917 Ed was drafted to WWI where he served in the 307 Labor Battalion. He was 30 years old.

The Labor Battalions were mostly comprised of Black soldiers who performed logistical duties such as transporting supplies, clearing barbed wire, DIGGING TRENCHES, removing exploding shells, and more.

On May 27th, 1919, Ed departed Bordeaux France on the Susquehanna, a military transport ship with 21 other soldiers. All the soldiers on board were wounded with various conditions from gunshot wounds to ulcers to fistulas. Ed had pleurisy, (sometimes known as trench fever) a common respiratory disease of the lungs that affected many soldiers during WWI. He arrived back to the States on June 9th, 1919.

Giving flowers to all of the Black soldiers in WW1, thank you so much for your service and your service mattered.