Hiram Edwin Piper

Submitted by: Richard Piper {son}

Hiram Edwin Piper served in World War 1 with the United States Army. The dates of service are: Known 1917-1919.

Hiram E. Piper entered the Army at Camp Dodge. He said he became a soldier when he was issued his hat and a broomstick to begin training. At first there was no rifle or uniform. Letters home told of his training and his concern for their sick cow at home on the farm.

He was a Sergeant by the time he was at Camp Pike, Arkansas in the winter of 1917-1918. Then he went to Camp Dix N.J. He said he remembered waking up in a huge gym filed with soldiers in cots and a startled nurse told him she thought he was going to die, but now that he was awake he would probably live. He asked why civilians were in the gym and she said he had the Spanish flu and had been unconscious. The civilians were family members trying to care for their sick sons because there were not enough doctors or nurses. Many soldiers had died and they were trying to help as many as they could.

My Grandpa Piper recovered and went to Paris France. He got off the troop train one foggy night to stretch his legs and peeked inside a white railroad car with a red cross on it. Inside he saw men without faces, arms or legs who were returning from the front lines. He said he deeply regretted being curious. By the time he reached his unit the war was ending and he saw no action.

Later in his 80's he would have morning coffee with his Army buddies in town. One had lost a leg when his unit was fighting in France while Grandpa was fighting the Spanish flu in New Jersey. He said he always enjoyed my letters to him when I was in the army in South Korea in the early 70's.