First Lieutenant Lukens Peirce Young, an officer with the 363rd Infantry of the Spruce Production Division, died at Vancouver Barracks on January 25, of pneumonia following influenza. Lukens was one of a handful of expert foresters working in the Division. He was responsible for selecting the trees to be cut. He received his commission in August of 1917 following his completion of Officers Training Camp at the Presidio.
Born in Pennsylvania, Lukens was the son of James Jefferis Young and Laura Peirce. Lukens entered the University of Washington from Colorado College and received a BS in forestry in 1915, followed by a Master of Science in Forestry in 1917. His graduate thesis was entitled “Comparison of different methods of estimating timber.” While at the UW, Lukens played class football and was a member of the Rifle and Forestry Clubs. His younger brother, James Arthur Young, followed him to the UW and studied forestry, as well.
His position in Vancouver gave him the opportunity to socialize and he was well known among the young people there and had a host of friends. Lukens was engaged to Isabel Eichner, a fellow UW student, who was wired with the news of his serious illness. Isabel was at his bedside when he passed away. Lukens is buried at the Peirce family plot in Fallowfield Cemetery in Coatsville, Pennsylvania. (bit.ly/uw_young)