The Big Creek Historical Society will host historian Michael Vogt on May 12, 2026, for a program exploring the pivotal role of Camp Dodge during World War I.

Vogt, curator at the Iowa Gold Star Military Museum, will share the story of how Camp Dodge grew from a small National Guard camp into Iowa’s largest military base. Through period photographs, maps, letters, and data, audiences will discover how over 37,000 Iowans left farms, towns, and cities to train for the First World War. For many, Camp Dodge became their first step away from home—and their “home away from home.”