Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1920-06-09
IOWA'S RECORD
IN WORLD WAR
Our State Furnished Nearly 10000
Officers and Men. Report of
Adjutant General is
Revelation.
TOTAL OF 2161
LOST THEIR LIVES
Exactly 500 Killed in Action-366
Died of Wounds and S75 From
Various Diseases.
TOTAL OF 2161
LOST THEIR LIVES

The report of the adjutant general
OF the state of Iowa recently publish
ed is a revelation of interesting facts
few of which were previously known
generally, since the close of the war.
The report begins with the statistics
concerning the number of men from
the state of Iowa in various branch
es of active service during the world
war.
Almost Immediately on returning
from the Mexican border, Iowa
guardsmen were ordered into service
and the total number who responded
TO the call between March &c and
July Is, 1917 was 9719. Many re-
cruits joined the guardstIen after
muster and draft into federal SER
vice, but these enlistment records
were sent to the war department by
the recruiting officers. Iowa guard
units sent into service did remark
able work and were all-efIicient, but
only one of the units ever experience
ed battlefield service, that being the
Third Iowa infantry, part Of the
Forty-second or Rainbow division.
Three-fifths of the enlisted men Of
the Third when it left iowa had been
for some time in the ranks of this
regiment and two-fifths were guards
men transferred from the First and
Second regiments. AS a result it
was a representative Iowa national
guard.
Governor Harding received an
order from the secretary of war in
March, 1917, to place the First in
fsntry, Iowa national guard. on duty
for the purpose of preventing inter
ference with the postal, commercial
and military channels and instru-
mentalities," in Iowa. Promptly the
units of the regiment were assem-
bled at their stations, mustered into
service, and within a week were as
signed to duty guarding bridges,
manufacturing plants and govern
Iaent property at Dubuque. Clinton,
Sabula, Charles City, Fort dodge
Boone, jefferson. Madrid, Burling-
ton, Media, ILL.,, Fort Madison,
Iumas, Mo, Keokuk and Ottumwa.
The generals report gives COM
plete roster Of every man who en-
listed in the service from the state
Of Iowa specifying the place where
re was born, age, place of enlist
iaent, branch of service each served
in and when mustered into service.
During the administration of the
selective draft law nearly 12,0jC
men and women in every county AMI
city in the state served in various
capacities under the direction of the
governor, and this force used more
than 100000 blank forms III car
rying out the rules of the provost
laarshal. Iowa was always prompt
in meeting the requirements of the
government.
Approximately 10000 officers and
men from Iowa served in the army
and navy and marine corps in the
war against the central powers. and
OF this number 9719 were national
suardsmen while 81. ga entered the
national army through the selective
service law. The report Of the secre-
tary Of war says that Iowa Is credit
ed with 5000 men in the army; the
navy shows 10000, and 600 men en-
listed in the marines from this state.
BESIDES these, several hundred en-
listments and individual and volun-
tary inductions may be added to IT,,
record.
Iowa's contribution to the world
war, casualties, including killed in
action, wounded in action and taken
prisoners, totaling 156 officers and
1855 men are described in a special
summary of American casualties fur
nished by the war department.
The fatalities include only those
in the American expeditionary tore.
es during the world war; and do not
involve those who were killed
wounded or died of disease in this
country or in Siberia. The troops in
forth Russia, however. are includ'
ed, as this command was par: Of
the American expeditionary forces in
Europe.
The complete summary, showing
how Iowa sons Jared ia the great
conflict is as follows:
Officers Men
Killed in action ....... % I8C
Died OF wounds ..... S57
Died 81 disease ..... 8 S7S
Died of accident ..... ? 2s
Drowned ..............
suicide ......... 80.
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