🪖 The Immigrant Army: How Foreign-Born Soldiers Helped Win World War I
📌 Discover how immigrant soldiers played a vital role in World War I, making up 18% of the U.S. Army. Learn how they earned citizenship, overcame language barriers, and fought for their new country. Perfect for historians, genealogists, educators, and students interested in military and immigration history.
Americans All! Victory Liberty Loan. Allegorical Female Figure of America, Standing in Front of American Flag, Holding Wreath Over "Honor Roll" Consisting of Last Names From Different Ethnic Groups, 1919. Library of Congress LC-97520325. GGA Image ID # 185166dbc3
🪖 The Immigrant Army: Foreign-Born Soldiers in World War I 🇺🇸
📜 A Forgotten Chapter in American Military History
During World War I, immigrants played a crucial role in the U.S. armed forces, making up over 18% of the military. This page sheds light on their service, challenges, and sacrifices, offering teachers, students, genealogists, and historians a unique perspective on how these foreign-born soldiers helped shape the war effort.
With millions of new immigrants arriving in the U.S. between 1901 and 1920, America entered the war at the height of mass migration. These immigrants sought to prove their loyalty, gain U.S. citizenship, and serve the country they now called home. From learning English in military training camps to earning the Medal of Honor, immigrant soldiers played a pivotal role in the war and its aftermath.
🔹 This article highlights their resilience, bravery, and contributions, giving voice to an often-overlooked aspect of American military history.
As the American military mobilized to enter World War I in 1917, its ranks filled with a diverse cross-section of American society, including immigrants worldwide. The nation entered the war during peak immigration; between 1901 and 1920, almost 14.5 million immigrants arrived in the U.S. Some Americans welcomed the new immigrants, while others called for increased immigration restrictions. These sentiments impacted the immigrants who took up arms for the U.S. during World War I.
World War 1 Draft Registration Card for Norwegian Immigrant Christian Gjenvik (Ludvig Kristian Gjønvik) Who Lived Near Madison, Minnesota. He Was Inducted Into the Army, Training at Camp Dodge and Camp Pike Before Being Sent to France as Part of the 346th Infantry. Courtesy of the Gjenvick-Gjønvik Family Archives. GGA image ID # 1851aff599
Foreign-born soldiers composed over 18 percent of the U.S. Army during World War I. Almost one in five draftees was born overseas. Many immigrants also volunteered to serve in the military, often to prove their loyalty to the U.S. and demonstrate their patriotism for their new country. Some military units became known for their many immigrant members, such as the 77th Infantry Division, which was nicknamed the “Melting Pot Division” because most of its members came from New York City.
According to the 77th Division’s 1919-published history of its wartime service, the Division’s “recruits represented all races and all creeds—men who had only recently been subjected to the pogroms of Russia, gunmen, and gangsters, a type peculiar to New York City, Italians, Chinamen, the Jews, and the Irish, a heterogeneous mass, truly representative…of New York City.” The 77th Division’s insignia even featured the image of the Statue of Liberty. This choice symbolized how the same immigrants who sought freedom in the U.S. now served overseas to protect that freedom.
After a Class of Foreign-Language Solders Has Become Thoroughly Familiar With the Charts Made From the Pictures of the National Geographic, It Is Ready to Try the Magazine Itself. Among the Issues of the Geographic in Which These Boys in Khaki Are Engrossed, There May be Identified One of the Bird Numbers, the Aviation Number, and the Flag Number. Photograph by Christina Krysto. National Geographic Magazine, August 1918. GGA Image ID # 18517abfb6
Upon entering the armed forces, many immigrant service members could not speak English and knew little about the U.S. military and government.
The War Department offered various English-language classes to immigrants in wartime training camps to address this. Drawing from the early twentieth-century Americanization Movement that promoted the integration of new immigrants into American culture and society, these classes often included lessons on civics and citizenship to help “Americanize” the men and prepare them both for the battlefield and life as engaged American citizens after the war.
Certificate of Immigration for Norwegian Immigrant Ludwig Kristian Gjenvick of Company C, 346th Infantry Stationed at Camp Pike, 24 May 1918. Gjenvick-Gjønvik Family Archives. GGA Image ID # 185278db41
To further integrate noncitizen soldiers, Congress passed legislation allowing for the expedited naturalization of foreign-born military members. This opportunity allowed more than 300,000 immigrant soldiers to become the nation's citizens; eventually, they swore to defend themselves and their adopted country.
Immigrants served in the U.S. military during World War I in various ways, both at home and abroad. Many service members embraced their heritage while they devoted themselves to defending the U.S.
World War 1 Soldier in the National Army of the American Expeditionary Force, Corporal Ludvig Kristian Gjenvick of Company C, 346th Infantry, circa 1918. Gjenvick-Gjønvik Family Archives. GGA Image ID # 1852e5267e
For example, Russian Jewish immigrant Harry Frieman of the Army’s 79th Division recounted in his diary how he celebrated the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah with the YMCA in France in September 1918.
This religious observance took place just before he participated in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, which helped lead to the armistice that ended the war on Nov. 11, 1918.
Many immigrants viewed their World War I service as a transformational event and a key part of their identity as new Americans. While many immigrants returned to the U.S. and became citizens after the war, others lost their lives in service of their adopted nation, often before obtaining their American citizenship.
Thirteen immigrants, including Marine Corps Sgt, received the Medal of Honor during World War I. Matej Kocak, an immigrant from Slovakia (then part of Austria-Hungry), posthumously received the award from both the Army and the Navy for his heroic actions during the Battle of Soissons on July 18, 1918.
Although he survived that battle, he later lost his life on Oct. 4, 1918, in the Battle of Mont Blanc Ridge during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. He is buried at the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery in France. Kocak’s grave stands as a testament to the courage and patriotism of immigrant service members during World War I.
Excerpt from "The Immigrant Army: Immigrant Service Members in World War I," in US Citizenship and Immigration Services, Last Updated 5 March 2020. Retrieved from https://www.uscis.gov/about-us/our-history/history-office-and-library/featured-stories-from-the-uscis-history-office-and-library/the-immigrant-army-immigrant-service-members-in-world-war-i 3 March 2021.
🏅 The Role of Immigrant Soldiers in World War I
🌍 A Military of Many Nations
✔ Over 500,000 foreign-born soldiers served in the U.S. Army during World War I.
✔ The 77th Infantry Division, known as the "Melting Pot Division", was made up primarily of immigrants from New York City.
✔ Soldiers from diverse backgrounds—Italians, Russians, Irish, Jews, Chinese, and more—fought side by side under the American flag.
🔹 The war became a defining moment for many immigrants, offering them a chance to solidify their identity as Americans.
📚 The Americanization of Immigrant Soldiers
🗣️ Overcoming Language Barriers
✔ Many immigrant soldiers could not speak English upon enlistment.
✔ The War Department established English-language and civics classes to help them integrate.
✔ These lessons not only prepared them for military service but also introduced them to American culture and government.
🔹 These educational efforts were an extension of the Americanization Movement, which sought to integrate immigrants into U.S. society.
📜 Expedited Citizenship: A Path to Becoming Americans
✔ To reward immigrant soldiers, Congress passed legislation allowing for expedited naturalization.
✔ More than 300,000 immigrant service members gained U.S. citizenship during the war.
✔ Many soldiers swore allegiance to their new nation while wearing their military uniforms.
🔹 Serving in the U.S. military became a fast-track to citizenship, strengthening the loyalty and patriotism of foreign-born soldiers.
⚔️ Heroes of the Immigrant Army
🛡️ Medal of Honor Recipients
✔ 13 immigrants received the Medal of Honor for their bravery in battle.
✔ Among them was Marine Corps Sgt. Matej Kocak, an immigrant from Slovakia.
✔ He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor by both the Army and the Navy for heroism in the Battle of Soissons (July 18, 1918).
🔹 Kocak and others like him proved that immigrants were willing to fight and die for their adopted country.
📸 Noteworthy Images from This Page
📷 Americans All! Victory Liberty Loan Poster (1919)
This patriotic war bond poster honors the diversity of the American military by displaying last names from various ethnic backgrounds, symbolizing the contributions of immigrant soldiers.
📷 WWI Draft Registration Card for Norwegian Immigrant Ludvig Kristian Gjønvik
A real-life example of an immigrant’s enlistment in the U.S. Army, highlighting how foreign-born soldiers were drafted into service.
📷 National Geographic's English-Language Classes for Foreign-Born Soldiers
Depicts immigrant soldiers learning English from charts and magazines, a key part of their integration into the U.S. military.
📷 WWI Certificate of Immigration for an Immigrant Soldier
This document illustrates how foreign-born soldiers received expedited naturalization as a reward for their service.
📷 Norwegian Immigrant Corporal Ludvig Kristian Gjenvik in the American Expeditionary Force (1918)
A striking image of a Norwegian immigrant who became an American soldier, symbolizing the transformation from immigrant to U.S. serviceman.
📌 Final Thoughts: Why This Story Matters
This forgotten chapter of American history highlights how immigrants played a vital role in defending their adopted country during World War I.
🔹 For Historians & Educators – This page provides valuable insight into the diversity of the American military, offering a fresh perspective on immigration and wartime service.
🔹 For Genealogists – If your ancestor served in WWI, they may have been part of the immigrant army, and their military records could provide clues about their naturalization process.
🔹 For Students – The stories of foreign-born Medal of Honor recipients, the “Melting Pot Division,” and immigrant soldiers learning English make this topic both relatable and inspiring.
🔹 For Immigration Scholars – This article sheds light on how military service helped immigrants gain citizenship and forge their identities as Americans.
These brave soldiers fought not just for the U.S., but for their own acceptance and belonging in their new homeland. Their sacrifices and contributions deserve to be remembered.
