David F. Burg and L. Edward Purcell, in their Almanac of World War I, offer The Great War - An Introduction, an essay by William Manchester. (The University Press of Kentucky, 1998)

Manchester's first few paragraphs accurately capture, in an abbreviated way, the entrance into the war of the major players in the world at that time:

Few men, including most of those who were to die in it, knew precisely how World War I started. They can hardly be blamed. The explanation was not only complicated; it didn't even make sense. The immediate reason for the conflict was a murder in the Balkans. On Sunday, June 28, 1914, a Serb fanatic, armed with a revolver, assassinated Franz Ferdinand, Archduke of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, while he was riding through the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo.

That was the small crime. The greater crime, which followed it, grew out of commitments made by generations of diplomats. The great European powers had joined alliances binding them to fight for one another. Thus, the slaying of the Archduke by a Serb, followed by an Austrian decision to attack the little kingdom of Serbia, set off a chain of events that arose inexorably from those diplomatic pledges.

But not at once. Everything moved more slowly then, including vengeance. It took the Austrians a full month to declare war on Serbia. Then the czar of Russia, Serbia's ally, ordered his generals to begin mobilization. Berlin was alarmed. The Russians would require a long time to call their men up, but then their army would be enormous. Therefore, Germany, Austria's ally, declared war on Russia. Next, France, bound to the Russians by treaty, declared war on the Germans.

Great Britain had reached an understanding - an entente - with the French. They were not obliged to fight, but their sympathies were obvious. In addition, they were worried about the safety of little Belgium, which was situated in harm's way. Therefore, Whitehall asked Berlin to guarantee Belgian neutrality. Berlin refused. On August 4, Britain's declaration of war on Germany expanded the growing holocaust. Nearly three weeks later, the Japanese, who had allied themselves with the English, followed suit. Italy and the United States announced that they would remain neutral; but in 1916, the Italians became belligerent, and so, the following year, did the Americans.

To continue The Great War, by William Manchester

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In early summer of 1916 Joseph was 20 years old. He traveled to Appleton, Wisconsin. We presume that Joseph wanted to be out on his own, was looking for work in Appleton, and joined the Wisconsin National Guard.

We have three postcards postmarked Appleton, Wisconsin 1916, which were mailed from Anton and Elizabeth Grunnes to our Frank and Rosa. The postcards reveal that they were already acquainted. The Appleton 1910 census shows that they emigrated from Bohemia a few years after the time of Joseph's parents. Joseph sent postcards to his parents that record some of his activity with the guard:
1916 Jun 11; postmark Milwaukee"Will rite when I hit my town."
1916 postmark Camp Douglas, Wisconsin; picture of 2nd regimental band; "Wisconsin National Guard ain't like the feather bed soldiers. Will write a letter on the train."
1916 postmark Camp Douglas, Wisconsin; picture of F2 Company; "This is our captain and three cooks. We get good meals. I write a letter when I get paid."
1916 Sep 8;date of the picture of maneuvers at Luxello, Texas;
1916 Sep 30; postmark San Marcos, Texas;"Four more days and then we are done with this hike."
1917 Feb 14; postmark illegible; picture of San Antonio, Texas; "arrived in Fort Sheridan all OK; Will stay here 10 days to get mustered out. It will be 3 weeks before I get home." (Fort Sheridan was located in Illinois on road between Chicago and Wisconsin; cited in the Wisconsin Border Service book as place of discharge for Company F2 after their border service.)

Joseph mustered out in 1917 and presumably went home to the farm. That summer he was hitchhiking back to Wisconsin by riding the rails. The railroad police caught him and sent him to Oshkosh, presumably because of his former service time with the National Guard.

The United States had entered the Great War in April of that year! The draft had been enacted, and Joseph was needed with his unit.

In July he sent several postcards home with printed patriotic verses on them.

The Rainbow's End!

As a child I've been told that a pot full of gold
Could be found at the end of the Rainbow.
That's a bed story tale mothers told to their young,
But over in France a division has sprung.
The American laddie who followed the trail,
Though the going was rough to be sure.
He was guided by right and Miss Liberty's light,
Led the trail of the Rainbow's lure.

From the hills of Lorraine to the field of Champagne,
They have followed the trail of the Rainbow,
When the hour was darkest for France they were cheery,
They flung forth the Rainbow across Chateau Thierry;
It brilliantly shown at St. Mihiel and the Argonne,
And the Sedan saw its colors in blend,
Now at home peace is found with Miss Liberty's sound,
When you come to the Rainbow's end!

The song of the Rainbow Division