114,220 Iowans answered Woodrow Wilson's call to arms in April 1917. Hundreds of them fought with the famous Rainbow Division, which won critical victories on Europe's Western Front. On the home front, families purchased war bonds to finance the war, and once again gathered bandages and supplies to ship to their doughboys "over there." The desire to preserve the camaraderie of the battlefield led to the organization of thousands of American Legion posts across the country when the boys returned home.
"When the bugle sounded, we went 'over the top' of the trench and ran across a field that was covered with barb wire and bomb craters. A shell exploded and a body flew over me, flying like a bird in the sky."
— Private Harm Aries, Rainbow Division