VON HASSEL, WILLIAM

William Von Hassel

William Van Hassel of Yaphank enlisted in the service on August 14, 1918.

The following newspaper article is from the Camp and Trench newspaper at Camp Upton.

Yaphank Lad, 16, A regular sojer.

William Von Hassel of Yaphank, is the stuff heroes are made of. Billy is sixteen, but has the spirit of its reverse – “sixty one’ Walking five miles in a pouring rainstorm, he sought out Capt. Hook of the Quartermaster Corps and asked to be made a sojer boy. Capt Hook arranged for his mustering in and had him assigned to the Quartermaster Corps. Willie wasn’t going to be outdone by any wiser or older veterans, so immediately started to get the influenza, tonsillitis, and K.P right after recovering from the needle. He’s convalescing right now and happy, waiting for the first opportunity to hike it over the Briny.