Stories from the Great War: VPI Men in the Service of Their Country, 1917-1918

Between April 1917 and November 1918, around 1,000 students and alumni from Virginia Polytechnic Institute (VPI) served their country during World War One.

“VPI men” were among the first soldiers to arrive in France during the summer of 1918. During the war, “VPI men” fought in all three major American offensives on the Western Front in France- the Aisne-Marne, St. Mihiel, and the Meuse-Argonne. With American Expeditionary Forces taking a leading role, these three offensives effectively brought an end to World War One

“Stories from the Great War: VPI Men in the Service of their Country, 1917-1918” focuses on the experiences of nine VPI men who fought for their country on the battlefields of the Western Front during the last months of the “Great War.”

Credits

Special thanks to the exhibit creators: Greogry Milhiser, Daniel Newcomb, Nick Runkle, and Connor Skelly. And to our partners: the Virginia Tech Department of History, Virginia Tech University Libraries, Virginia Tech Special Collections, and the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets.