Texas takes to the Trenches
Photos, Documents and Dispatches from the Front Lines
Left World War I was the first major conflict involving the large use of aircraft. Right Trenches provided soldiers little protection from the onslaught of mortar fire and enemy attack.
During World War I, more than 198,000 Texans answered the call to join the Allied forces in an effort to defeat the Central Powers of Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria. Although many Americans favored neutrality, the details found in a top-secret, coded communiqué between Mexico and Germany — called the Zimmerman Telegram — hinted at a possible pact to regain lost territories in Texas, Arizona and New Mexico. The threat of German soldiers on southwestern soil was enough to provoke President Woodrow Wilson to declare war on April 6, 1917. Before long, doughboys were shipping off by the dozen to dig trenches and do their part “Over There.”
Left The identity card belonging to Brigadier General J.A. Harlen of the 72nd Infantry. Right The Great War marked the first time in the history of the U.S. that regular Army and Navy military nurses served overseas.
The Texas State Library and Archives Commission’s upcoming exhibit marks the 100th anniversary of the Great War by assembling a collection of photographs, documents, dispatches and oral histories in a salute to the ranks of Texans who bravely responded to Uncle Sam’s famed finger wag and “I Want You” rallying cry. While the battle was raged on land, sea and air, the war effort was more than just mortar shells and mustard gas. Texans on the home front felt the ravages of war through rationing and the pain of missing their dearly beloved.
Answer the call yourself and enlist in our shared heritage by visiting the Texas State Library and Archives Commission (1201 Brazos St. in Austin) from April 3 to Sept. 15, 2017. For more information visit www.tsl.texas.gov.
