Selective+Service+and+the+GI

Name: Thomas McLaren Age: 55 Hometown: Buffalo, New York School: Oaktown Academy Relationships: Married with 2 children Ethnicity: White Birthday: August 14, 1896 Occupation: Recruiting Officer with US military

When the United States finally decided to join the fight in World War I, we were extremely unprepared for war. Only 200,000 men were enlisted in the military service when war was declared, and few officers had combat experience. The government understood that drastic measures had to be taken in order to bolster our army, so in May 1917 Congress passed the Selective Service Act (Danzer 382). This act required men between the ages of 21 and 30 to register with the government in order to be randomly selected or “drafted” for military service. Later in the war, the age limits were expanded to all men between 18 and 45 years old (“War Preparations” 1; “Selective Service” 1). Only a select few were exempt from being drafted, including those who were physically unable to fight and conscientious objectors who refused to fight based on religious grounds (“Selective Service” 1). By the end of 1918, 24 million men had registered under the act, 3 million of which were called up for service. About 2 million of these troops reached Europe before the truce ending the war was signed, and three-fourths of those men saw actual combat. A majority of inductees in the service did not attend High School, and about one in five were foreign born (Danzer 382). At the time of the draft I was only 21 years old, and like so many other young men, I was selected to go to war in Europe. By the time I had returned from the war, I had worked my way up through the military ranks and became a recruiting officer. Luckily, conscription was halted after the war, so that no more men had to be drafted into the military. When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the nation was in total shock. As an officer in the US military, I was especially stunned when I heard the horrifying news. For many young men in America, however, the attack came as an opportunity to fight for their country. 5 million men volunteered for military service after Pearl Harbor, but once again the military found itself ill-prepared for a war on two global fronts – Europe and the Pacific. The Selective Service System was once again called upon, and eventually provided another 10 million soldiers to meet the needs of the military. The volunteers and draftees reported to military bases nationwide to receive basic training for eight weeks. Throughout this period, recruits were turned into battle ready GI’s, which stands for “government issue” and was a nickname that came to stand for American soldiers (Danzer 563). Advertisements such as this one below were used to encourage young men to go out and join the military. This specific advertisement depicts Uncle Sam, and has been one of the most popular symbols in American history. Personally, as a recruiting officer, I found these ads very effective.



__Works Cited__

Danzer, Gerald A, et al. __The Americans: Reconstruction to the 21st Century__. Evanston, IL: McDougal Littell, 2005.

"Selective Service Act, 1917." __American History Online__. New York: Facts on File, Inc., 2002. Hunterdon Central Regional High School. 23 Oct. 2007.

"War Preparations." __World War I - The War to End All Wars__. 23 Oct. 2007 <[|http://www.cms.mntm.org/WWI/Selective.html>.]

"World War I Poster." 2007. 23 Oct. 2007 <[|http://www.sonofthesouth.net/uncle-sam/world-war-1-poster.htm>.]