The Lost Voices of the Great War: Summit County in the First World War

Lost Voices of the Great War: Summit County in the First World War expands upon the award-winning PBS documentary of the same name, bringing readers even deeper into the stories of the local women and men whose lives were shaped by World War I. This companion volume restores the full, unfiltered voices that were brought to life through period photographs, rare film footage, and dramatic historic reenactments.

Since the documentary’s debut in 2018, audiences, historians, and family members alike have sought more―more stories, more context, and more voices from a generation nearly lost to time. Inspired by this continuing interest, and by the realization that many powerful accounts never made it onto the screen, Fleischer and Motter have assembled this collection of complete letters and firsthand accounts drawn from local libraries, museums, and archival repositories.

Within these pages are the rediscovered words of Summit County residents such as Mary Gladwin, an Akron nurse who volunteered to serve with the International Red Cross overseas, and Fred Seiberling, son of Goodyear Tire and Rubber cofounder F. A. Seiberling, as well as several Goodyearites, like Lester S. Himmelberger, who served in the balloon division, and Charles C. Jackson, the only known decorated African American officer from Ohio. These voices, along with those of newly arrived immigrants and southern migrants who came to Akron’s booming rubber industry before answering the call to serve.

Together, these letters reveal how individuals of vastly different backgrounds―across class, race, faith, and nationality―were united by a global conflict simply known then as the Great War. Set against the backdrop of industrial transformation and a devastating worldwide pandemic, Lost Voices of the Great War preserves the deeply personal testimonies of those who lived during a moment that irrevocably reshaped the twentieth century.

S. Victor Fleischer holds a BA and MA in American history and an MLIS from Kent State University. He has worked as a professional archivist for over twenty-five years and currently serves as university archivist, head of Archives & Special Collections, and professor of bibliography at The University of Akron. He has published numerous scholarly articles in professional journals. His first book, The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company: A Photographic History, was published in 2020. He was an associate editor and contributor to Hail We Akron! and lead researcher and coproducer of the Emmy-nominated documentary Lost Voices of the Great War.

Toivo Motter has worked in the education and instructional design/media fields for over twenty years. In 2018, he established and led a county-wide World War I commemoration project that initiated new research, joint programming, and the production of the Emmy-nominated, PBS-aired documentary film Lost Voices of the Great War. Toivo holds an MS in curriculum and instruction with a specialization in educational technology from Cleveland State University and a BS in social studies education with a submajor in history and geography from Kent State University.