Reference Entry
FIRST SELECTIVE SERVICE DRAFT REGISTRATION
When the United States entered World War I in April 1917, its small regular army was nowhere near large enough to fight on the Western Front. Congress responded by passing the Selective Service Act, and on June 5th, 1917, the nation held its first massive draft registration day. Across cities, small towns, and rural crossroads, millions of men lined up at local boards, filling out forms under the eyes of community leaders and veterans.
Dated Historical Context
A RECORDED MOMENT IN HISTORY
First Selective Service draft registration
When the United States entered World War I in April 1917, its small regular army was nowhere near large enough to fight on the Western Front. Congress responded by passing the Selective Service Act, and on June 5th, 1917, the nation held its first massive draft registration day. Across cities, small towns, and rural crossroads, millions of men lined up at local boards, filling out forms under the eyes of community leaders and veterans. The process was not just administrative; it symbolized the federal government’s ability to mobilize national manpower while still working through local institutions. For the Army, those registration cards became the raw material for building divisions that would fight at places like the Meuse-Argonne and Saint-Mihiel. In the broader sweep of United States military history, June 5th, 1917 marks a turning point toward modern conscription and the idea that large citizen armies might be raised, equipped, and shipped across an ocean in a matter of months.
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