As Ernest Julius Erickson wrote in his journal on March 24th, 1917:

"We had a Dakota snow storm here last night."

So it went as the tail-end of the Oregon winter of 1917 reminded him and Frank of back home on the Great Plains. At the time both were Oregon Railroad Deputies. Ernest Julius took this photograph of his brother Frank (on the left) and three other Deputies walking down a path up in the hills near La Grande.

Within a few months Ernest Julius and Frank would join the American Expeditionary Force. By mid 1918 they would be heading to England and then onto the battlefields of France.

Ernest Julius and Frank would be part of the Meuse Argonne Offensive that commenced on September 26th, 1918 - Frank with the 308th Infantry (Lost Battalion) and Ernest Julius with the 361st Infantry.

Two additional photographs below were taken in the Summer of 1917. Ernest Julius and Frank are shown at work as deputies, guarding the railways in true wild wild west glory.