Willey Brook Trestle, World War 1 Guard Duty - When the United States entered into World War 1 in April 1917, there was great concern that important sites along transportation routes, such as railroad bridges, would be blown up. Soldiers were responsible for protecting these sites. And one month after the United States entered into the war, Private L. Dudley Leavitt and seven other National Guardsmen of the First Vermont Infantry were assigned six weeks guard duty of the Willey ...