“It is a fearful thing to lead this great peaceful people into war, into the most terrible and disastrous of all wars, civilization
itself seeming to be in the balance.”
– President Woodrow Wilson, Special Session of Congress, April 2, 1917
Since 1914, war raged in Europe between the Allies (Great Britain, France, and Russia) and the Central Powers
(Germany and Austria-Hungary). America declared neutrality but “The Great War” had claimed American lives with
the sinking of vessels crossing the Atlantic by German submarines.
According to Wilson, Germany exercised some restraint and gave passengers and crew “at least a fair chance to
save their lives” but news reached him of Germany’s plan to forgo this policy. Germany planned to sink any vessel that
approached a port controlled by its enemies. In his address to Congress, President Wilson laid before Congress the
choice before the country: to sever diplomatic ties with Germany and declare war.
Four days later on April 6, 1917, Congress declared war. For the next 18 months, America would be a nation at war.
In Texas, citizens mobilized to support the war effort from home front activities to paying the ultimate price: their
lives. Out of the more than 20,000 Texans who joined, over 4000 never made it back, Two hundred Texas women
volunteered to serve as nurses. While some women advocated for peace, others supported the nation’s entry into war.
The Women’s Committee of the Council of National Defense, the first governmental body staffed solely by women,
coordinated the work of women’s organizations and clubs nationwide. Their activities primarily centered on home
front initiatives. The committee focused on such areas as Americanization, Child Welfare, Food Administration and
Production, Foreign and Allied Relief, Women in Industry, Maintenance of Existing Social Agencies, Educational Propaganda,
and Health and Recreation.
Another organization, The Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) assisted the United War Work Campaign
to raise funds for war relief efforts at home and abroad, primarily focused on the needs of women and girls.
While women were not accepted into battle duty by the U.S. military, they sometimes assumed military roles formerly
held only by men. In 1915, Marjorie Stinson was inducted in the U.S. Aviation Reserve Corps and was the first
woman granted a pilot’s license by the Army and Navy Committee of Aeronautics.
Although the war was over in a little over a year after the United States joined, it had a profound effect on Texas and
today only California has more of its citizens serving than Texas – in excess of 50,000 more than the state of Virginia,
third in line.
A little closer to home is a video from a local family that will warm your heart as Angela McGehee thinks she is going
to be Face Timing her daughter Brittany. But there is a really ducky surprise waiting for her. Just go to our website and
search “A Ducky Veteran’s Day” tyo share in a very special moment!
