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Historical Perspective and Lessons Learned

 

Actionable Historical Lessons

The image shows a group of St. Louis Red Cross Motor Corps workers on duty during the influenza epidemic in October 1918. The workers, all women, are dressed in military-style uniforms and are wearing face masks. They are standing in front of ambulances, each holding a stretcher, indicating their readiness to transport patients or supplies. The setting appears to be an urban area, with buildings visible in the background. The image is in black and white, and the atmosphere reflects the serious and urgent nature of their work during the epidemic. **Courtesy of the Library of Congress**.
St. Louis Red Cross Motor Corps workers on duty during the influenza epidemic, Oct 1918. Courtesy of the Library of Congress

Examining the past can guide us in the present. Some aspects of the human experience remain the same. History can help us answer many relevant questions such as these:

How might we prepare for the spread of pandemic disease?

The 1918-1919 “Spanish influenza” pandemic demonstrates that standard medical systems can quickly become overwhelmed. In 1918, Army hospitals overflowed with patients, and officials scrambled to set up makeshift wards in tents and unused buildings. Now, civil and military officials are again preparing to use tents and other shelters to set up overflow wards.

What is the role of travel in spreading pandemic disease?

“Spanish influenza” started its global journey by following U.S. troops traveling by train and ship. Today we have an average of 4 billion airline passengers annually, and COVID-19 has spread from China to all inhabited continents within weeks, prompting travel restrictions. History warned us that we must pay attention to the movement of people when diseases threaten to spread.

Are quarantines and social distancing measures useful in restricting the spread of disease—even if not everyone complies with these measures?

In 1918, quarantines in the U.S. varied from one jurisdiction to another, including military posts. Isolation was never total. Some movement of people was necessary to keep society functioning. Isolation did protect many people, however. At Camp Meade, Maryland, six infantry companies quarantined in tents four miles away from the main camp remained free of disease. History tells us that isolation can keep many people healthy even if it not possible to enact complete isolation.

What communication issues might pandemics cause?

In 1918, rumors of German infiltrators spreading flu as “germ warfare” undermined the credibility of the U.S. Army Medical Corps. During the 2014-2016 Ebola epidemic in West Africa, misinformation spread by Twitter prompted hostility towards doctors and unsafe behaviors. Now, false information about COVID-19 is being spread by social media. The U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has had to create a webpage urging Americans not to stigmatize people of Asian origin for the spread of COVID-19.

We can ask many other questions of history, such as questions relating to human behavior or the economic effects of a pandemic. How does a pandemic-stricken population maintain morale? How might medical research during a pandemic help mitigate its effects? Each pandemic offers lessons. The current COVID-19 pandemic will be studied years from now, and we who are living through it are in a position to document and preserve its lessons for the future.

Supporting Historical Articles

The image depicts a crowded emergency hospital at Camp Funston, Kansas, during the influenza epidemic in 1918. The large room is filled with rows of cots, each occupied by a soldier who appears to be ill. Medical personnel, including nurses and doctors, are seen attending to the patients. The room is packed with people, illustrating the scale and severity of the epidemic. The soldiers are dressed in hospital gowns, and some are wearing face masks. The setting conveys a sense of urgency and the overwhelming impact of the influenza outbreak on military personnel during this period. An emergency hospital at Camp Funston during the influenza epidemic, Kansas, 1918.
An emergency hospital at Camp Funston during the influenza epidemic, Kansas, 1918.

Field Historian Resources and Repositories

Field Historian Teams Site

The Field Historian Microsoft Teams site provides Army Field Historians with access to up to date examples, templates, doctrine, and course content relating to conducting Army field history operations.

Common Access Card (CAC) holders should request access to the Army Field Historian Teams Site by sending a request to CMH’s Field and Military Programs Division at:
TR-CMH-FP-Military-Programs@army.mil


Please include your current position title with your request.

Submit Unclassified Records

Common Access Card (CAC) holders should coordinate with CMH to submit unclassified records via an approved File Transfer Program. Please email CMH’s Field and Military Programs Division at the following email to arrange for submission:
TR-CMH-FP-Military-Programs@army.mil

Submit Classified Records

The Army Historical Resources Online (AHRO-C) classified database is accessible on the SIPR network. Please find information about requesting access and uploading material to AHRO-C here:
Army Historical Resources Online (AHRO-C) Fact Sheet and FAQ [PDF file]

Articles / News

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