The United States waited almost three years before joining the Allied Forces in World War I, but then committed to the war effort in a major way. According to the National Archives, about 2 million Americans served overseas during the conflict, which represented more than one quarter of the country's male population from the ages of 18 to 31.

That means many of us have ancestors who fought during World War I. An upcoming workshop at the Tennessee State Library & Archives is geared toward helping people learn more about those long-ago relatives.

Gordon Belt, the Library & Archives' director of public services, will lead the workshop from 9:30 a.m. until 11 a.m. on April 2. He will use a case study from his own family history to retrace the march of Tennesseans to the war's front lines.

The workshop will be held in the Library & Archives auditorium, which is located at 403 Seventh Avenue North, directly west of the State Capitol building in downtown Nashville.

Although the event is free and open to the public, reservations are required due to limited seating in the auditorium. To register for the workshop, please visit: http://tennesseegreatwar.eventbrite.com

Free parking is available around the Library & Archives building.