Exhibit to highlight Aurora's involvement in World War I

AURORA, Ill. (AP) - A new exhibit in downtown Aurora will honor the city's involvement in World War I.

The Beacon News reports (http://trib.in/2oQTfSE ) local historians are pulling together more than 80 artifacts for an exhibit that will open Memorial Day. The items include the mess kit of an Aurora soldier, uniforms, a doctor's bag, a diary and propaganda posters.

Visitors also will be able to enter an 18-foot reproduction of a trench.

The exhibit comes as the U.S. marks the 100th anniversary of the country's entry into the war.

Historians say more than 3,600 people from Aurora joined the military during the war. The city held a parade when 297 men headed to Camp Grant in June 1918. Some 40,000 people turned out to honor what was the largest number of local draftees.

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Information from: The Beacon-News, http://beaconnews.chicagotribune.com/