The above headlines say it all, as carried in a Saranac Lake newspaper, The Daily Item, published by E. C. Krauss at 86 Broadway. The date of this copy was Saturday, June 28, 1919.

The lead story:

“VERSAILLES, June 28 (AP) –The World War was formally ended today by the signing of the peace treaty with Germany.

“The epochal meeting in the Hall of Mirrors began at 3:10 o’clock this afternoon, and the German delegates, the first to sign, affixed their signatures at 3:13.

“They were followed by the American delegates, headed by President Wilson, and the by the plenipotentiaries of Great Britain, France, Italy and Japan.

“Representatives of minor powers signed in alphabetical order.

“China’s delegates did not attend the session, declining to sign because they were not permitted to make reservations.

“The treaty was deposited on a table in the Hall of Mirrors at 2:10 by William Marlin of the French Foreign Office. It was enclosed in a stamped leather case. Premier Clemenceau entered at 2:20, and a few minutes before 3 the enlisted men from the American, British and French armies entered the hall amid cheers.

“President Wilson entered at 2:50. All the Allied delegates were then seated except the Chinese, who refused to attend.

“The Germans entered the hall exactly at 3, and Premier Clemenceau called the session to order at 3:10. The German delegates were seated at the side of the table nearest the entrance. This permitted the German delegates to leave after the signature, not waiting for the state procession of Allied delegates to the terrace from which to witness the playing of the Versailles fountain before returning to Paris.

“At 3:44 cannon began to boom announcing the completion of the ceremony of signing.”

Another piece of the story revealed that 15 Army Privates from each of the principal armies stood within the enclosure reserved for high officials as a visible sign of their role in “bringing the new Europe into being.”

We use this story as a Memorial Day tribute to the veterans of World War I and urge the residents of Saranac Lake to visit the stately monument in the park at the corner of River and Church. There are about 300 names listed there of those who served in a war that killed 116,000 Americans and wounded another 204,000.

The last living U.S. soldier from WWI was Frank Buckles from West Virginia, age 110, who died in February 2010. He also served in WWII and was a POW of the Japanese for three years.

Following is a list of the men and women from the town of Brighton (Gabriels) who served in WWI.

This has some significance to me because my Uncle Tom Riley is among those who served. The information on hand says he served in the Artillery in the 6th Regiment, Coast Artillery Corps, Battery II. However, in conversations with him when I was a kid he told me he was an ambulance driver. He also told me that the only close call he remembered was a bullet shattering the windshield and tearing into the seat beside him. His uncle and my Great Uncle, Ed Riley, a Civil War veteran, is buried in Pine Ridge cemetery.

Uncle Tom settled in California after the war, married up, and lived his life with his wife and family on a 4,000 acre cattle and quarter horse ranch on Highway 1, one mile south of Carmel. A beautiful setting where one could see the Pacific Ocean from the front yard; and then drive around for hours in a jeep back in the grassy canyons checking the cattle and counting the new born calves.

The veterans list is as follows:

The two women on the list were Gladys MacArthur and her branch of service was listed as Y.M.C.A. She entered the service on 1/1918 and was discharged on 8/1919.

Lillian Oliver Ziegler served as a nurse in the U.S. Army, Hospital No. 41. She entered the service on 10/24/1918 and was discharged on 4/13/1919.

The men who served were as follows:

Frank Blanchard, Harrison Benware, John H. Blanchard, John V. Bryant, Percy D. Bryant, Frederick W. Barnes, George Halsey Brulliea, Arthur J. Downs, Richard J. Longtin, Clarence H. Lyman, Herbert F. Lyons, Charles I. Leavitt, Randolph S. Martin, King S. McDermind, Archibald K. MacDonald, Oscar J. Otis, Howard Otis, Roy A. Otis, Archie B. Ormsby, Bernard L. Paye, Thomas F. Riley, Spencer J. Rork, Edward Russell, Jerry E. Sawyer, Frank H. Sawyer, Harry L. Strack, Christopher A. Smsey, George S. Tebo, Harry A. Paye, Harold J. Newell, Benjamin A, Muncil, Madison Muncil and Joseph J. Tucker.