Before going overseas World War I soldiers trained to fight, although some men volunteered for the Allies before the United States entered the war. One volunteer, Kiffin Rockwell of Asheville helped form the Lafayette Escadrille, a unit of American flyers for the French Air Force in 1916, without knowing how to fly! Back home, soldiers at camp knew that qualifying as a marksman was difficult, especially when trying to hit a target without a rifle. Soldiers also trained to protect themselves...

In addition to the Tar Heels in the Wildcat and Old Hickory Divisions, others served throughout the army, and in the navy and marines too. African American soldiers were separated into other units; many serving in the 92nd or 93rd Infantry Divisions. The 93rd Division was assigned to the French Army, which was known as “The Red Hand.” North Carolina American Indians also volunteered. For every man, volunteer or draftee, the call to arms meant leaving home for an uncertain future—which began...

North Carolina National Guard members joined draftees to form part of the Thirtieth Division, nicknamed the “Old Hickory” Division, and were sent to train at Camp Sevier near Greenville, South Carolina. Another group of Tar Heels were in the Eighty-first Division, the “Wildcat Division” organized at Camp Jackson, near Columbia, South Carolina. For each recruit, the journey to the western front began when he boarded the train.

For three years, the United States stayed out of the European war. By 1917, however, German submarines regularly attacked American ships and U.S. leaders worried that their longtime friends, France and Britain, were losing the war and would be unable to repay their loans of money. So, in April 1917, President Wilson asked for a declaration of war to “to end all wars.” Asked to register for the draft, North Carolina men responded enthusiastically. North Carolina sent more than 86 thousand...

World War I, or the “Great War” was triggered by the murder of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir of the Austro-Hungarian throne, by Serbian separatists on June 28, 1914. Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia one month later. Germany immediately sided with Austria while Russia sided with Serbia. War soon broke out bringing France, Belgium and Britain against Germany, while Bulgaria and Turkey joined with Austria and Germany. Confused? So were most Americans who wanted to stay out of the messy...