History doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes.

attributed to Mark Twain

We now find ourselves in a quandary similar to that of 1918. Of course, there is no one left who went through the Great Influenza Pandemic, but there are still some of us who knew someone who did. One such person was my mother-in-law, Priscilla Hicks (1908-2004). Her stories as told to her daughter resonate today.

For those of you who would like a quick course about the ‘Flu in 1917-1919, here is a clip that will give you the basic facts. It’s only five minutes long. If you pay attention to the credits you will see Jennifer Zoebelein, Ph. D from K-State and former historian at the National World War 1 museum. She was involved with the Kansas WW1 Centennial Committee in its earliest days.

James (“Jim”) Patton BS BA MPA is a retired state official from Shawnee, Kansas and a frequent contributor to several WW1 e-publications, including "Roads to the Great War," "St. Mihiel Tripwire," "Over the Top" and "Medicine in the First World War." He has spent many hours walking the WW1 battlefields, and is also an authority on British regiments and a collector of their badges. An Army Engineer during the Vietnam War, he does work for the US World War 1 Centennial Commission and is affiliated with the WW1 Historical Association, the Western Front Association, the Salonika Campaign Society and the Gallipoli Association.