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The office of the Adjutant General has been a very busy place
during the past two years. The United States has been involved
in two wars during this period. At the beginning of the
year 1917 the Iowa National Guard, with the exception of the Field
Artillery, which was mustered out in December, was in Federal
service and was on duty on the Mexican Border guarding the border
states from invasion. The organizations were returned to their
homes early in the year and by March 23, 1917 were all out of active
service.
On March 25, 1917 the President again issued a proclamation
calling into active service a part of the National Guard from each
state, preparatory to entering the World War. In Iowa the First
Regiment of Infantry was called into service and placed on duty
guarding bridges and munitions plants. By July 15, 1917 all other
organizations of National Guard had been called into service.
On August 5, 1917 all men who had been mustered into National
Guard service were drafted into U. S. service. This took the Guard
entirely from under the control of the state. By the latter part of
August all Iowa units had left the state.
Iowa Guard units sent into the service were all efficient, but
it so happened that only one of them, the Third Iowa Infantry (168th
U.S. Infantry) experienced any battle field service. This regiment
was a part of the 42nd or Rainbow, division, and was a composite
organization, composed of the third and parts of the First and
Second Infantry regiments. Three-fifths of the enlisted men of the
Third, when it left Iowa, had been for some time in the ranks of
this regiment. Two-fifths were Guardsmen, transferred from the
First and Second Regiments. As a result it was truly a
representative Iowa National Guard unit, and its brilliant
achievements on the battle fields reflects credit upon the National
Guard as a whole. |
