But:

“A rumor spread swiftly that a group of medical-corps officers and nurses at Camp Hancock, New Jersey, had been lined up before a firing squad and executed as German spies. They had been convicted, word had it, of spreading influenza by hypodermic injection of the troops. The story proved so stubborn that the Army’s acting surgeon general, Brigadier General Charles Richard, felt compelled to issue a denial: “The reports are ridiculous and without the slightest foundation in fact.” Another story had German agents holed up in Chevy Chase, Maryland, brewing batches of influenza germs.” – American Heritage

The rumor still circulates that in fact, the executions took place and Woodrow Wilson covered it up, but that seems unlikely. Like certain modern politicians, he did have a habit of sacrificing truth for peace, but still…

My great-grandmother died in the epidemic, after seeing my grandfather off to war. Her first ride in a New York subway was also her last.

It really is a fascinating subject that’s rarely been explored.

This is the real story here. Was this really a case of germ warfare that got out of control and spread around the world killing millions?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gus_Welch