With this stamp, the U.S. Postal Servicepays tribute to the sacrifice of American soldiers and millions of supporters on the home front who experienced World War I. Entering World War I (1914–1918) in its later stages, the United States helped turn the tide of war in favor of the Allies. The stamp art features a close-up of a member of the American Expeditionary Force holding the U.S. flag. Barbed wire can be seen in the background, as well as an airplane in flight and smoke rising up from the battlefield.

World War I was a four-year global conflict that reshaped the map of Europe. The United States remained neutral until April 1917, when it declared war on Germany and entered on the side of the Allies — Britain, France, and Russia. When the American Expeditionary Force, which ultimately grew to nearly 5 million troops, did finally engage in 1918, its actions helped end the war, thrusting the U.S. to the forefront of major world powers.