Selective Service notification letter

This call-up notice was mailed to Phillip H. Glick on the 17th of September 1917 from the Lyon County, Kansas Local Board (arrived in envelope, museum ID 0.260305.11.3.1, with same postmark date). It gives notice that Glick has been called for military service, issues him with a Serial Number and requests that he attend a physical examination on the 22nd of September. It also outlines the procedure required to claim for exemption and draws his attention to the consequences of non compliance.

In May 1917, following the U.S. entry into World War I, the United States government passed the Selective Service Act in order to temporarily increase the volume of the armed forces. Initially only men between the ages of 21 and 31 were required to register, though towards the end of the war this was extended to include men aged between 18 and 45. Local Boards were responsible for all elements of the conscription process including registration, classification, physical examination and dispatch to training centers.

References:

National Archives. “World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, MI509”, http://www.archives.gov/research/military/ww1/draft-registration/index.html (Accessed July 26, 2011).

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