Boerjans
Bill had an interesting early life - he was born in the United States, then lived in Belgium while a young child. The family returned to the United States in 1901 and Bill lived in North Dakota, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan. His main residence for the remainder of his life was Elrose, Saskatchewan, but he and his family, plus his descendents, were great travellers over the years.
Bill helped his father on the farm at Elrose until he was in his late teens. When the First World War started in 1914, and Bill decided to enlist.
Bill's Attestation Papers
Canadian Overseas Expeditionary Force
However, Bill hit a snag. When his mother found out, she told him, "You are underage! I didn't move to Canada just to have you go to war - that's why we moved from Belgium! You need my consent and you don't have it!" She wrote to the Canadian government and told them that Bill was under age (17) and that scuttled his plans to join the army.
Later Bill moved to International Falls, Minnesota, where he worked in the paper mill. He met a very petite, pretty, dark-haired French girl, with large brown eyes, through a friend at work. His future wife, Valerie, was staying with her sister, Vitaline, the friend's wife. Bill and Val started courting and fell in love. Bill was a large, barrel-chested man, very handsome, with lots of dark curly hair which was worn quite high in the style of the day.
You had better watch what you wish for, because you just might get it, and the timing might suck. In 1918 Bill was drafted into the United States army and was due to ship out the end of June or early July. By this time, Bill and Val were very much in love and planning to marry. As luck would have it, Val became pregnant just before Bill shipped out. Times were so uncertain then and they were so much in love!
Bill had lots to occupy his time in Europe. Armistice took place on November 11, 1918 with the Treaty of Versailles being signed on June 28, 1919. Bill served with the Army of Occupation as a Sargent in the Medical Corp - he drove ambulances and picked up and transported the sick, wounded and dead. Conditions in Europe at this time were appalling - most of northern and eastern France had been devastated by combat and left widespread damage and hardship for the surviving French people, who had lost 1.8 million during the war. Desolation and a sense of forlornness dominated Europe after World War I. The "Glories of War" that had been promoted at the beginning of the war were completely disspelled. Millions of civilian lives were lost - the elderly, woman and children. The lands were completely destroyed at battles such as at Passchendaele.
Passchendaele Battlefield
American Field Hospital inside ruins of Church
(Photo by USASC 27410)
For more about the American Expeditionary Force, go to http://www.usaww1.com/American-Expeditionary-Force/ .
To see a full account of the Boerjan Story, please go to The Belgiums.
For more information on Belgium, go to www.MijnPlatteLand.com
Boerjan History in the Old Country
Ben Boerjan Grows Up in Belgium and Marries Nathalie
Bill Moves to Minneapolis and Meets Val.
Bill Goes to War and Val Stays with Her Parents in Crookston