On this day in 1917...

...Grandpa registered for the WWI draft.

Dear Diary,

I always liked reading the section of the newspaper that told of what had happened on that day 50, 100 or 200 years before.  I had been planning to do this post today and it is just as well since I am not feeling up to photographing.  I got Grandpa's draft registration paper on-line and I had his state militia registration card dated a few days later.  The photograph was taken around that time.

America was entering the war in Europe and all young men had to register for the draft.  He was 26 years old and married to my grandmother.  He was also a farmer.  He was never called up and I don't know if it was his high number in the lottery or the fact he was a farmer and a bit over the optimum age.  His grandparents had been Quaker but he didn't claim that as an exemption.  He would later return to the Quaker faith.
 
I did notice that the registrar was a George Doty.  Now, Doty was a family name of my grandmother.  Her great grandmother was a Doty.  Could that have been a factor in Grandpa not being called to serve?  No way of knowing but I am sure nepotism did enter into the process.  I was also stunned to see that in the corner there was a directive to tear off the corner if the registrant was African-American.  Nepotism may have existed in the draft but racial discrimination certainly did.