American Red Cross

During World War I, the American Red Cross provided services in family aid, camps, production, nursing and hospitals, and transportation. While mostly focused on the war effort, the American Red Cross also provided extensive assistance to people at home in the United States. In 1918 a large pandemic, known as the Spanish Influenza, was sweeping the nation, which caused the American Red Cross to work as an active auxiliary of the U.S. Public Health Service until the pandemic died out in 1919.

The Spanish Influenza of 1918-1919 was a worldwide pandemic. It probably began in Spain before spreading throughout the world. An estimated 50 million died globally. Locally, Great Lakes Naval Training Station was impacted severely due to the number of men in close proximity to each other. No precise number of casualties is available for Waukegan because of inconsistencies in reporting causes of death. For a period of time, all Waukegan and North Chicago schools and theaters were closed to prevent spreading the disease further. An unusual aspect of the disease was that it struck mostly young and healthy individuals.