Joe Knetsch

Florida in World War I Joe Knetsch

A century ago, sparsely populated and largely rural Florida rallied as America plunged into World War I. The state's sacrifices and contributions have rarely been awarded their proper due. The proud USS Florida, too often mentioned as a mere adjunct to the Atlantic Fleet, receives a just accounting, as does the utterly devastating loss of the USS Tampa, the highest death toll the navy suffered in the war. Sunshine State foresters served critical roles abroad, and local libraries became essential hubs for promoting rationing and reporting news from overseas. Floridian aid workers and soldiers training for departure were stricken with the Spanish flu, a pandemic that shook the globe with force equal to the war itself. Authors Joe Knetsch and Pamela Gibson provide a necessary and thorough chronicle of Florida in the Great War.