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The year 2017 marks the centennial anniversary of the United States’ involvement in World War I. This 1917 government publication, marked "Secret and confidential [now scratched out in red]; Not to be taken into front line trenches," provides a tiny window into life on the battlefield. Designed to help military staff on the front lines collect and analyze personal effects from captured German soldiers, it explains the importance of seemingly mundane items like postcards or letters in indicating where entire units of the German Army were located.