In honor of the upcoming Veterans Day holiday, I thought I would highlight the military career of Jay C. Hormel.  He served in World War I from Sept. 5, 1917, until his discharge on Dec. 10, 1918. Jay was motivated, opinionated and passionate about what he could bring to the war effort.

In a memo to his fellow drafted men dated Aug. 28, 1917, he offered the opportunity to start preparing for service immediately. 

“A little good work now and we will be in a position to compete for the many non-commissioned offices which will be open to the best trained men,”  he wrote.

He arranged for two drill squads to meet and get competent in valuable military instruction.  One would meet at 7 a.m. and the other at 5 p.m. to allow the men time to meet their work obligations.  He said, “You will be doing yourself a gross injustice if you do not grasp this opportunity and join with on these squads.”

Brief summary of Jay’s service:

• Sept. 5, 1917: reported to Camp Dodge and assigned Company G, 351st Infantry, 88th Division
• Sept. 25, 1917: Was made Regimental Sergeant Major
• Oct. 9, 1917: Commissioned Second Lieutenant
• Jan. 24, 1918: Arrived in France
• May 18, 1918: Transferred to the office of Chief Quartermaster in Tours, France, and assigned to duty as assistant to Chief of the Cold Storage Branch
• Aug. 29, 1918: Designated Officer in Charge of meat handling in France
• Oct. 10, 1918: Returned to the United States to lead efforts to improve the shipping of fresh meat to the soldiers in Europe.  War ended shortly after he returned to the states.

Jay was not one to sit idle and soon after returning stateside, he complained of not being given anything of use to do for the military.  He shifted his focus back to rejoining his father in the business back home in Austin. 

His military service may have ended, but his interest in his fellow servicemen did not.  He worked hard to employ returning soldiers and he was involved in the development of the American Legion and other veteran’s causes.

My own father served in the Air Force Reserves and I am sure many of you have connections to a past or present member of the military. It’s important to always remember our service personnel, and I am glad they get formal recognition at least once a year.

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History Happy Hour: History of Mower County Veteran’s Organizations with special feature of Jay C. Hormel

• 5:30 p.m. social/6 p.m. presentation, Monday, Nov. 11
• Free for members of the HHH, Mower County Historical Society, or Friends of the Library. $5 for nonmembers. Presented by Dean Ulland.

Historic Treasures of the Mower County Historical Society

• 11:30-12:30 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 14
• Presented by Jaimie Timm, Curator. Join us to learn about some seldom seen treasures from the Mower County Historical Society collection. Brown bag lunches encouraged.