Blake Farenthold: “Soldiers from south Texas were instrumental in the United States victory during World War I. With the 100th anniversary…”

“Soldiers from south Texas were instrumental in the United States victory during World War I. With the 100th anniversary of World War I quickly approaching, I would like to take a minute to thank our veterans, especially Texas veterans, for protecting our country. In 1916, thousands of National Guardsmen were stationed along the Mexican border. When tensions began to calm, 3,500 soldiers were moved to Corpus Christi, where the city prepared a 200-acre site that later became Camp Scurry. By 1917, the camp was closed after the border remained quiet for nearly a year. Once the United States entered World War I, the camp was reactivated and became a training base for the 4th Field Artillery Regiment and the 5th Engineer Battalion. Through the draft, nearly 200,000 Texans served in the military during the war, and 450 Texas women worked as nurses. Today, now, we must remember the 5,000 Texans who died during the war, including seven Gold Star women nurses. Also, a special thank you to the Nueces County Historical Society for hosting the World War I Centennial Commemoration on April 6. Their work helps preserve our south Texas history. The Important Relationship Between the United States and Israel”