; Whereas the expeditionary force of the United States was created on May 3, 1917, under the command of General John J. Pershing, to provide military support to France and the Allies; Whereas the United States started huge mobilization efforts after Congress passed the Act entitled An Act to authorize the President to increase temporarily the Military Establishment of the United States , approved May 18, 1917 ( 50 U.S.C. App. 201 et seq.), thereby introducing military conscription and enabling 4,800,000 individuals from the United States to serve during World War I; Whereas the first forces of the expeditionary corps led by General Pershing arrived quickly in France; Whereas General Pershing landed in Boulogne-sur-Mer on June 13, 1917, 14,750 members of the First Infantry Division landed in Saint-Nazaire on June 26, 1917, and 7,500 soldiers landed in Brest on November 12, 1917; Whereas members of the Armed Forces were involved in a considerable logistics effort in France, building many transportation infrastructure projects, including roads, harbors, and railways, communications networks, and accommodation buildings, which were crucial for the war effort and the transformation of the French landscape; Whereas a debt of gratitude is owed to the 3 members of the Armed Forces who fell in France during the first combat of the Armed Forces in Bathelémont-lès-Bauzemont on November 3, 1917; Whereas individuals from many different sectors of the United States population, including African Americans, Hispanics, and Native Americans, were involved in logistics, support, or combat in France in 1917 and 1918; Whereas President Thomas Woodrow Wilson was deeply involved in the peace process in Europe, notably through his speech to Congress on January 8, 1918, the 14 points of which were proposed as a basis for negotiation at the Versailles Peace Conference, which started on January 18, 1919