On September 29, 1917, throngs of people had stood amid garlands of red, white and blue bunting, waving flags and banners as they crowded on the railroad platforms to send off Company B of the First Regiment of the North Dakota National Guard. Patriotic speeches and music filled the air. For the families it had been a long, prayerful year. At first the war news was hopeful and only a spattering of local names were among the casualty lists, but as the American Expeditionary Force took on a more