Iowa led in service and prejudice in WWI

In many ways, Iowa led the nation during the first world war. This is true in terms of the proportional number of those who served and died, as well as in internal propaganda and anti-foreign prejudice. We can also claim some important historical ‘firsts'.

Approximately 500,000 Iowans registered for the draft, and 114,000 served in the U.S. armed forces. Putting this in a national perspective, 4.8 million Americans saw military service during the months after their country declared war; of those, 2 million actually landed in France, and 1.4 million experienced combat.

America lost 116,000 lives in military service during the war (half of which died of influenza). 3,576 Iowans were among them.

If you think about our state as only one of forty-eight in 1917, it's not hard to tell that we contributed significantly to the war effort. (Iowa ranked 16th in the population of the nation by the 1920 census.)

But cold statistics never tell the full story.

Consider Merle Hay, the 21-year-old Glidden native of the 1st Infantry Division. Private Hay, who died on November 3, 1917, is likely to have been the first American killed in action (two other men in his unit died at about the same time). He had been observed in hand-to-hand combat with two German soldiers after an attack on his division near Nancy, France.

Few may know about Marion Crandell, the first American woman to die in active service during the war. Crandell had taught at St. Katherine's School in Davenport before joining the United States Christian Commission in early 1918. The 45-year-old believed that her knowledge of French could be useful at the front. She was killed on March 27 in a German attack on Sainte-Menehould, in eastern France.

So both the first American man and the first American woman to die in the war were Iowans.

Hanford MacNider, from Mason City, served in the 2nd Infantry Division of the American Expeditionary Force, and was among the most-decorated of U.S. soldiers. Awarded numerous medals for extraordinary heroism, he attained the rank of lieutenant colonel by war's end.

Iowa also provided important training facilities for new troops: Camp Dodge, northwest of Des Moines, and Fort Des Moines, to city's south. The latter was the first in the nation to train African American officers. Over 650 black captains and lieutenants received commissions by October, 1917, and many served with heroism in the 92nd Division, 3rd Battalion.

Gov. William L. Harding made Iowa famous in another way during the war. He issued the ‘Babel Proclamation' in 1918, making it illegal to use any foreign language in public places. German-speaking citizens (including pastors) were threatened with violence, and there were even some arrests of people accused of speaking German on telephone party lines. Although similar incidents occurred in communities across the nation, Iowa unfortunately distinguished itself by some extreme reactions to fear of German influence.

Overall, Iowa has much to be proud of with regard to its war effort … although some of its actions toward its own citizens deserve careful reflection. And it's nice that today in Iowa we have the right to speak English, German, Spanish, Arabic, Urdu - or any language we like!

' Allison McNeese is an assistant professor of history at Mount Mercy University. Comments: amcneese@mtmercy.edu.