Historic Des Moines / Noted Des Moines Residents

Historical marker location:

Mitchellville, Iowa

( Marker can be reached from Route 80 at milepost 147,, 1.2 miles west of 112 Street NE (County Road S27), on the right when traveling west.)

Marker installed: 1977

The first American casualty of World War I was a sailor from Iowa named Merle Hay. He was killed when the German submarine U-58 torpedoed the USS Jacob Jones on December 6, 1917.