The Volunteers: Americans Join World War I, 1914-1919

“The Volunteers” explores the stories of Americans who chose to get involved in the First World War before the U.S. officially entered the conflict. The European war pushed some to don uniforms and fight, some to care for wounded soldiers and feed hungry refugees, and others to insist that the United States stay out of a devastating war across the Atlantic. This fresh and exciting story of World War I traces the little-known history of how small volunteer groups pioneered models for later international humanitarian organizations. The exhibit is designed to travel and includes media presentations, interactives, an ambulance simulator and features important artifacts.