You're In The Army Now
Unidentified soldier from World War One SHC collections The United States declared war on Germany and its allies on 6 April 1917. Men not yet enlisted in the National Guard were subject to the draft. In Sherburne County, several hundred men entered the army as a result of the Federalization of the National Guard and the draft. Although events in training camps were never typical, letters sent home, and later published in the Sherburne County Star News , give a sense of life in the camps. In a letter published in the Sherburne County Star News Theodore Coder described daily life in Camp Cody, New Mexico. “We left Fort Snelling Oct. 10 and arrived at Deming, adjacent to Camp Cody, on Oct. 15,” he wrote. “Had a delightful trip, or at least it was to me, but I did not fall in love with the country on first sight or have no deep affection for it yet.” He went on to describe the hazards of camp life. “The sand blows here like the snow ...