Criteria Awarded to a member of the military forces of this state, another state, or the United States for exceptionally outstanding achievement or service to the state in performance of a duty of great respon... Awarded to a member of the military forces of this state, another state, or the United States for exceptionally outstanding achievement or service to the state in performance of a duty of great responsibility while serving with the state military forces. MoreHide
Criteria Presented to a member of the military forces of this state, another state, or the United States who has performed service in a superior and clearly outstanding manner. The Adjutant General shall make ... Presented to a member of the military forces of this state, another state, or the United States who has performed service in a superior and clearly outstanding manner. The Adjutant General shall make rules and regulations pertaining to this award. MoreHide
Criteria May be presented to a member of the military forces of this state, another state, or the United States who performs outstanding service or attains extraordinary achievement in behalf of the state or U... May be presented to a member of the military forces of this state, another state, or the United States who performs outstanding service or attains extraordinary achievement in behalf of the state or United States. The Adjutant General shall make rules and regulations pertaining to this award. MoreHide
Criteria The World War I Victory Medal was awarded for military service during the First World War. It was awarded for active service between April 6, 1917, and November 11, 1918; for service with the American... The World War I Victory Medal was awarded for military service during the First World War. It was awarded for active service between April 6, 1917, and November 11, 1918; for service with the American Expeditionary Forces in European Russia between November 12, 1918, and August 5, 1919; or for service with the American Expeditionary Forces in Siberia between November 23, 1918, and April 1, 1920. MoreHide
Comments Tour of Duty: Dec 11, 1917 to Mar 10, 1919;
Units Assigned:
(1) Kelly Field No. 2;
(2)Ellington Field;
(3) Carney Point, NJ
(4) Munitions Plant, Conspopcken, PA;
Discharged and commissioned Second Lieutenan... Tour of Duty: Dec 11, 1917 to Mar 10, 1919;
Units Assigned:
(1) Kelly Field No. 2;
(2)Ellington Field;
(3) Carney Point, NJ
(4) Munitions Plant, Conspopcken, PA;
Discharged and commissioned Second Lieutenant in Army Reserve eff. Mar 10, 1919. MoreHide
Criteria Awarded to any member of the Texas Military Forces, after September 11, 2001, who is deployed overseas for a period of at least 30 days of deployment, served or flying into a hostile fire zone, and in... Awarded to any member of the Texas Military Forces, after September 11, 2001, who is deployed overseas for a period of at least 30 days of deployment, served or flying into a hostile fire zone, and in support of OIF/OEF, and any future combat operations. MoreHide
Criteria Awarded to a member of the state military forces who has completed five years of honorable service during which the person has shown fidelity to duty, efficient service, and great loyalty to the state... Awarded to a member of the state military forces who has completed five years of honorable service during which the person has shown fidelity to duty, efficient service, and great loyalty to the state. MoreHide
Criteria Awarded to units of the State Military Forces of Texas for extraordinary valor or meritorious achievement during non-Federalized periods of service. (1) The Citation will be awarded for valor as a res... Awarded to units of the State Military Forces of Texas for extraordinary valor or meritorious achievement during non-Federalized periods of service. (1) The Citation will be awarded for valor as a result of extraordinary courage. The unit must have performed with marked distinction under difficult and hazardous conditions covering a relatively brief period of time. (2) The Citation will be awarded for meritorious service as a result of exceptionally meritorious conduct in performance of outstanding service during an operation of short duration of a period of at least 12 continuous months. The unit must display such outstanding devotion and superior performance of exceptionally difficult tasks as to set it apart and above other units with similar missions. MoreHide
Description The United States of America declared war on the German Empire on April 6, 1917. The U.S. was an independent power and did not officially join the Allies. It closely cooperated with them militarily buThe United States of America declared war on the German Empire on April 6, 1917. The U.S. was an independent power and did not officially join the Allies. It closely cooperated with them militarily but acted alone in diplomacy. The U.S. made its major contributions in terms of supplies, raw material and money, starting in 1917. American soldiers under General John J. Pershing, commander of the American Expeditionary Force (AEF), arrived in large numbers on the Western Front in the summer of 1918. They played a major role until victory was achieved on November 11, 1918. Before entering the war, the U.S had remained neutral, though it had been an important supplier to Great Britain and the other Allied powers. During the war, the U.S mobilized over 4 million military personnel and suffered 110,000 deaths, including 43,000 due to the influenza pandemic. The war saw a dramatic expansion of the United States government in an effort to harness the war effort and a significant increase in the size of the U.S. military. After a slow start in mobilising the economy and labour force, by spring 1918 the nation was poised to play a role in the conflict. Under the leadership of President Woodrow Wilson, the war represented the climax of the Progressive Era as it sought to bring reform and democracy to the world,[citation needed] although there was substantial public opposition to United States entry into the war.
Although the United States declared war on Germany on April 6, 1917, it did not initially declare war on the other Central Powers, a state of affairs that Woodrow Wilson described as an "embarrassing obstacle" in his State of the Union speech.[26] Congress declared war on the Austro-Hungarian Empire on December 17, 1917, but never made declarations of war against the other Central Powers, Bulgaria, the Ottoman Empire or the various Co-belligerents allied with the central powers, thus the United States remained uninvolved in the military campaigns in central, eastern and southern Europe, the Middle East, the Caucasus, North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and the Pacific.
The United States as late as 1917 maintained only a small army, smaller than thirteen of the nations and empires already active in the war. After the passage of the Selective Service Act in 1917, it drafted 2.8 million men into military service. By the summer of 1918 about a million U.S. soldiers had arrived in France, about half of whom eventually saw front-line service; by the Armistice of November 11 approximately 10,000 fresh soldiers were arriving in France daily. In 1917 Congress gave U.S. citizenship to Puerto Ricans when they were drafted to participate in World War I, as part of the Jones Act. In the end Germany miscalculated the United States' influence on the outcome of the conflict, believing it would be many more months before U.S. troops would arrive and overestimating the effectiveness of U-boats in slowing the American buildup.
The United States Navy sent a battleship group to Scapa Flow to join with the British Grand Fleet, destroyers to Queenstown, Ireland and submarines to help guard convoys. Several regiments of Marines were also dispatched to France. The British and French wanted U.S. units used to reinforce their troops already on the battle lines and not to waste scarce shipping on bringing over supplies. The U.S. rejected the first proposition and accepted the second. General John J. Pershing, American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) commander, refused to break up U.S. units to serve as mere reinforcements for British Empire and French units. As an exception, he did allow African-American combat regiments to fight in French divisions. The Harlem Hellfighters fought as part of the French 16th Division, earning a unit Croix de Guerre for their actions at Château-Thierry, Belleau Wood, and Séchault.
Impact of US forces on the war
On the battlefields of France in spring 1918, the war-weary Allied armies enthusiastically welcomed the fresh American troops. They arrived at the rate of 10,000 a day, at a time when the Germans were unable to replace their losses. After British Empire, French and Portuguese forces had defeated and turned back the powerful final German offensive (Spring Offensive of March to July, 1918), the Americans played a role in the Allied final offensive (Hundred Days Offensive of August to November). However, many American commanders used the same flawed tactics which the British, French, Germans and others had abandoned early in the war, and so many American offensives were not particularly effective. Pershing continued to commit troops to these full- frontal attacks, resulting in high casualties against experienced veteran German and Austrian-Hungarian units. Nevertheless, the infusion of new and fresh U.S. troops greatly strengthened the Allies' strategic position and boosted morale. The Allies achieved victory over Germany on November 11, 1918 after German morale had collapsed both at home and on the battlefield.... More
Memories Tour of Duty: Dec 11, 1917 to Mar 10, 1919; Units Assigned: (1) Kelly Field No. 2; (2)Ellington Field; (Tour of Duty: Dec 11, 1917 to Mar 10, 1919; Units Assigned: (1) Kelly Field No. 2; (2)Ellington Field; (3) Carney Point, NJ (4) Munitions Plant, Conspopcken, PA; Discharged and commissioned Second Lieutenant in Army Reserve eff. Mar 10, 1919.... More
Other Memories
Tour of Duty: Dec 11, 1917 to Mar 10, 1919; Units Assigned: (1) Kelly Field No. 2; (2)Ellington Field; (3) Carney Point, NJ (4) Munitions Plant, Conspopcken, PA; Discharged and commissioned Second Lieutenant in Army Reserve eff. Mar 10, 1919.
Tour of Duty: Dec 11, 1917 to Mar 10, 1919;
Units Assigned:
(1) Kelly Field No. 2;
(2)Ellington Field;
(3) Carney Point, NJ
(4) Munitions Plant, Conspopcken, PA;
Discharged and commissioned Second Lieutenant in Army Reserve eff. Mar 10, 1919.