World War I is repeatedly used to show the horrors of modern warfare, and as June 1918 ended, Ocean County and its citizens found themselves totally involved. Early in the month, coastal sections had witnessed the beginning of submarine warfare while inland, something else was taking place. Before the U.S. entry into the war, Czarist Russia had operated a testing facility for chemical weapons at Lakehurst; the New Jersey Courier of March 15, 1918, reported there was going to be a change.

“Lakehurst reports that the Eddystone range is to be taken over by the government, lengthened out three miles, a number…