On February 5, 1918, Captain Philip Vincent Sherman, from Northfield, lost his life. He was the first Vermont Officer in American forces killed in World War I.

At 5:42 p.m., the Tuscania was hit by a torpedo. 2,179 soldiers were on board and the ship was being escorted through the British Isles by convoy. Nobody saw the German U-Boat or the torpedo until it was too late. A second torpedo hit soon after.

The ship began to tip, lights went out, and panic set in. Many lost their lives, some from the initial impact, others while trying to escape.

Image courtesy the book Vermont In The World War 1917 - 1919 by the John Cushing and Arthur Stone with military historian Captain Harold Sheldon.

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