Ghosts from the July Monsoon

The day I was made aware of Tucson's Great War Ghosts I had my mind on driving and work. It was Hot. If you drive in Tucson in July you need to have your air-conditioner going. The heat sucks up all the moisture and stores it in huge clouds that grow from morning to afternoon when the drop all the moisture in about 15 minutes accompanied by wind, thunder and lightening.

it is pretty spectacular to watch, but it makes driving a challenge. It wasn't the slick roads, flash floods, or poor visibility that bothered me. I was more worried about the other drivers not slowing down and slamming into me. Knowing that the monsoon storms are sudden and fierce, but they don't last long, I drove into the first out of the way place I came to. This day that place was Evergreen Cemetery on Oracle Road, Just north of Miracle Mile. Of course the cemetery was empty of cars and the living. I found a place to park by rows of white marble headstones.

It didn't take long for the rain to lessen. When it did, I started looking around at the cemetery. I noticed the writing on the headstones. It wasn't the names that caught my attention, it was the places- Illinois, Texas, Nebraska, Iowa, New York, Minnesota, and yes, Arizona. More states- South Carolina, Alabama, Oklahoma, Iowa again, Indiana. The headstones near me were all for the early 1920s. What brought these people here? It was obvious from the writing that these were military graves, PVT., SGT,some were unmistakably Civil War or Spanish American War soldiers, but the bulk of them seemed to be from World War I.

I got out of my car and started walking, looking now at the names. So many nationalities, so many men. I went back to the car, grabbed a notebook and pen and began writing the inscriptions on the headstones. I should have realized that this would make any spirits take notice, but I was to curious to notice. I drove off, leaving the ghosts alone and went to work, then home to find out why all these veterans are buried in the Desert instead of in their home states.

Ghosts of The Great War in the Old Pueblo

Ghost from the past born more than one hundred years ago walked the streets of Tucson. Where did they come from? What did they do? How did they feel? Why should we care? They lived their lives and now they are gone.

Where do ghost stories begin? Are they confined to dark and stormy nights? They can begin on July afternoons in the Sonoran Desert, and yes, because of a storm.

This is a true story of how I met the Ghosts of World War I in Tucson Arizona. You may think that Tucson had nothing to do with the international conflicts of 1914 - 1918, but you are wrong. The connection is strong between the Old Pueblo and the Great War.

The Great War veterans have a story to tell. They only needed someone who, to avoid a driving in a monsoon storm, would park in their cemetery, turn eyes to their headstone, and wonder "why?"