When the United States entered World War I in 1917, the Virginia
Peninsula immediately became a center for the intensive activities
required to prepare the nation for war. The fertile farm fields
overlooking the James River, Hampton Roads, and the Back River were
quickly transformed into military camps, air
fields, and training bases. Almost overnight, Newport News became the
second leading port for men, horses, and supplies embarking to Europe.
Shipyard workers labored around the clock producing ships. Each vessel
was considered a death blow to Prussianism, which was required to
achieve victory. The Peninsula experienced rapid population growth,
necessitating the construction of houses and public transportation
systems. Individuals on the home front worked like soldiers without guns
as they organized bond drives, provided recreation for doughboys passing
through the port, and honored local fallen heroes. World War I on the
Virginia Peninsula is the first comprehensive pictorial history
documenting the events that occurred on the
Virginia Peninsula during the war that was fought, as President Woodrow
Wilson advised, to save the world for Democracy. In nearly 200
compelling photographs from local museums, archives, and private
collections, this volume vividly documents the places, people, and
industries that framed the community's wartime experience.
