| Soldiers
from Outagamie County entered every branch of the armed services.
Some of them fought in battles against Germans, Italians, and Japanese.
Others supported combat troops as clerical and technical workers.
Everyone called these men GIs, short for "Government Issue,"
words soldiers found printed on the inside of their uniforms.
Many
GIs believed they had embarked on a mission to end fascism. Those
on the front lines found that fulfilling basic needs—eating,
drinking, sleeping, and staying alive—overwhelmed them. Some
returned home depressed and terrified by what they had seen and
done. Most felt proud to have participated in a "just war."
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American troops pose at Camp McCain in Mississippi, 1943
Courtesy of Jeffery Vogt |
American side arm called a Colt .45, circa 1918
Loan from the Wisconsin Veterans Museum # V1992.78.95
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American helmet, circa 1942
Loan from the Wisconsin Veterans Museum
# V1995.27.120
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