Despite being located thousands of miles away, World War I impacted the Hawaiian Islands in many ways. Because of its strategic location in the Pacific Ocean, Honolulu Harbor served as a haven for ships of both Allies and Central Powers. As British and Japanese warships chased German merchant ships across the Pacific, many sought refuge in Honolulu’s neutral harbor. A dozen German ships were berthed in the harbor at one time during 1914, hoping to escape destruction or capture by their enemies. Their presence put an enormous burden on wharfing facilities, greatly hampering regular waterfront activity.
The United States entered World War I on April 6, 1917, when it declared war on Germany. German ships in Honolulu Harbor were immediately confiscated as enemy property; most were renamed and placed in the service of the American navy.
At the Outrigger, membership in both the men’s organization and Women’s Auxiliary declined. Many Auxiliary members took on volunteer jobs to aid the war effort; instead of spending their leisure time swimming at Waikiki, the ladies rolled bandages for the Red Cross. Many Club members joined the National Guard or the newly established Naval Militia. Scores of younger members enlisted in the armed forces or were eventually drafted and sent overseas. Others, like future Club president George W. H. Barnhart and Francis Bowers, were stationed in Hawai `i. Barnhart, who had been commissioned a Lieutenant, was appointed Commandant of the Students’ Army Training Corps and was posted at the College of Hawaii. In his oral history, Bowers relates how he joined the army. ” … World War I started up and someone played the band and someone waved the flag, and I ran away from school and enlisted.” He spent the next thirteen months at Schofield Barracks.
When a War Relief Committee was established, three of the six members were charter members of the Outrigger: chairman William R. Castle, Sanford B. Dole, and Wallace Rider Farrington. (The latter two were governors of the Territory and presidents of the Club.) In 1918 the War Relief Committee became a chapter of the American Red Cross; Outrigger charter member H. R. “Harry” Macfarlane Jr. served as acting secretary of the Hawai `i chapter.
Members of the Women’s Auxiliary worked for months on a flag listing Club members serving in the armed forces. Wives, mothers, sisters and sweethearts were encouraged to stitch names of the men on a star which was sewn to the flag. Auxiliary member Mrs. J. Atherton Gilman spent each afternoon at the Club distributing them; when it was completed there were 130 stars on the banner.
A special ceremony was held on the Club grounds to observe the first anniversary of the declaration of war. The high point of the ceremony was the presentation of the flag by Governor Lucius E. Pinkham. It was accepted on behalf of the Outrigger by Sanford B. Dole. The banner was prominently displayed in the Clubhouse Lobby for the war’s duration.
The following members’ names were stitched on the flag.
K. Ables
W. Ables
W. P. Alexander
A. L. C. Atkinson
B. W. Atkinson
K. Atkinson
F. R. Auerbach
D. F. Balch
D. V. Baldwin
W. Ballentyne
L. Bannigan
W. C. Bennett
C. D. Bishop
E. A. Blair
B. L. Blowers
C. D. Branch
C. Brenham
W. H. Britton
A. R. Brown
H. Brown
J. H Brown
A. Bush
M. Campbell Jr.
I. D. Canfield
S. Carter
G. R. Clark
E. W. Closson
G. R. O. Connor
Capt. Cook
J. P. Cooke Jr.
F. Cooper
F. G. W. Cooper
T. Cooper
Admiral Cowles
W. Cowles
A. Crenshaw
H. Cullen
C. Damon
W. R. Dashiell
G. W. David
H. M. Dieber
P. Dodge
L. B. Donne
R. E. Doty
F. J. Dougherty
J. M. Dyer
A. Eaglehart
W. H. Eberly
W. C. Emory
M. Fennel
F. H. Foucar
G. Freeman
E. H. Fuller
A. F. Gilman
J. A. Gilman Jr.
R. M. Graham
R. C. Gray
L. J. Grimshaw
E. S. Hartshorn
L. A. Hicks
Col. Houston
G. H. Jameson
J. F. Johnson
H. Johnson
S. Kennedy
L. W. V. Kennon
N. L. Kirk
A. C. Knowles
R. E. Lambert
W. Lanquist
G. K. Larrison
R. N. Linn
F. Low
M. M. Macomb
A. Madsen
L. Mayo
Geo A. McEldowney
H. B. McKellar
J. A. McKeown
B. McStocker
H. E. Morgan
J. R. Mount
J. R. Mount
F. Muir
W. H. Munter
H. V. Murray
William A. Noble
R. L. Noggle
G. R. O’Connor
J. O’Dowda
H. T. Osborne
G. Palmer
E. Parker
Lt. S. Parker
J. C. Peden
H. E. Podmore
F. R. Reynolds
G. N. Rothwell
C. E. Sager
R. M. Sanderson
R. L. Sharrer
T. D. Sloan
R. S. Short
C. E. Singer
C. M. Sims
J. Smith
M. Smith
P. M. Smoot
T. D. Sloan
S. Stacker
L. M. Stainbach
Capt. Stevens
G. E. Stillman
H. L. Strange
Clair Tait
W. Timberlake
G. T. Townsend
A. R. Tulloch
F. Turner
M. H. Tuttle
J. A. Urice
A. Vieria
H. V. Von Holt
R. C. Waldron
F. Wight
S. G. Wight
A. L. Wise
D. L. Withington Jr.