In Texas, citizens mobilized to support the war effort from home front activities to paying the ultimate price: their lives. Rapid mobilization in 1917 brought a flurry of camp construction to the state. In all Texas hosted 19 U.S. Army posts, at least nine of which served as military training camps, and another nine as military airfields—several of which helped train British and Canadian flying cadets. The cities of Houston, Waco, Fort Worth, and San Antonio were particularly transformed. In addition to the influx of "doughboys," manpower shortages and increased wartime needs opened up new employment opportunities for those who previously had limited access. Farm families and small-town residents moved to major cities to work in war industry plants and at military posts. Women found their roles changing too, serving as nurses, raising money for Liberty Bond drives, and getting involved in Red Cross initiatives. Few lives remained untouched by the war.
