Among them was infirmary Board President John J. We passed our century mark without any deterioration of our morale [and] have been generously and thoughtfully treated by our many and constant friends. Although the first outbreak in the United States has been traced to the spring of in scattered military camps and East Coast cities, the official news of the epidemic was kept under wraps for fear of undermining public support for the Great War. From then on, the affliction spread like wildfire.