Woodrow Wilson was re-elected to a second term in 1916 on the slogan, “He kept us out of war.” Indeed, the 28th president of the United States successfully kept the nation neutral while Europe fought itself to a costly and bitter standstill. However, by 1917, it was clear that the United States could no longer stay above the fray. Internation incidents such as unrestricted submarine warfare, German intrigue in Mexico, and the Black Tom Munitions Plant sabotage in New York Harbor forced the United States to enter war alongside Britain and France. To fill the enlarged ranks of the United States military, millions of Americans signed up or were drafted into the Army and Navy. This 1917 dated document signed by Woodrow Wilson appoints a captain to the U.S. Army Reserve Corps. Wilson’s signature is bold and crisp, a marked difference from later examples after his stroke in 1919 when his second wife began signing for him. The commissioning document has been matted alongside a photographic print of Wilson and an engraved plaque listing his career achievements. The complete framed display measures 33” x 38” and comes with a LOA from PSA/DNA.