2018 marks the centennial of the end of the “War to end all wars,” World War I. The war was also a pivotal turning point in the evolution of the National Guard. State Militias became what we now know as the National Guard. Following the Efficiency in Militia Act of 1903, also known as the Dick Act, the United States Congress created an early National Guard.
In 1916 Kentucky Guardsmen were mobilized for service on the Mexican Border. This was the first time Kentucky troops were trained to regular Army standards, which prepared some of them for Federal service overseas in WWI.
7,518 Kentucky Guardsmen served in WWI.
By Sgt. 1st Class (retired) John Trowbridge, Kentucky National Guard