*New Jersey - On-Line - “Plainfield During WWI and the Influenza Pandemic” from The Historical Society of Plainfield/Drake House Museum
The Historical Society of Plainfield/Drake House Museum announces an online exhibit of “Plainfield During WWI and the Influenza Pandemic.” The exhibit is dedicated to the memory of the 45 soldiers and their Gold Star Families from Plainfield and the surrounding area who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country during WWI. Some were born in Plainfield and others were immigrants, but all served their country with courage, bravery, and valor. Approximately 23 of the men succumbed to the Influenza Pandemic in 1918 and its related diseases. One of the men, Martin J. Kane, died as a result of pneumonia. He was a member of the U.S. Coast Guard, and was stationed at Fort Hancock, Sandy Hook. He was called to duty to help guard Sayreville after the T. A. Gillespie Company Shell Loading Plant explosion or the Morgan explosion, which occurred on October 4, 1918. This explosion leveled over 300 buildings, burned for 3 days, and forced the evacuation and reconstruction of ...
