The Mahoning Valley’s Contributions to WWI

Cassie Nespor, Melnick Medical Museum & YSU Archives

During WWI, the United States created a system of “Base Hospitals” in Europe to support the Allied Troops. These Base Hospitals were funded and staffed by civilian volunteers from all over the country. Youngstown and the surrounding area garnered enough support to create Base Hospital #31, which was active from December 1917 through March 1919. This presentation will highlight the stories of the local doctors and nurses who volunteered to serve near the front lines in France. It will also bring to light the lives of the enlisted men who were clerks, attorneys, carpenters, steel mill workers, laborers, and students in the Mahoning Valley. The presentation will include many photographs from the group as well as an interactive map showing the personnel and their route to France and back.