This helmet was used by a soldier who served in the 27th Infantry Division of the Army National Guard in World War I. The 27th Division was formed from the New York National Guard, and its Company M was made up of many men from Auburn.
The 27th Division was one of only a few Army National Guard units to be made entirely from a state National Guard unit in WWI. The insignia is a play on Commander John O’Ryan’s surname- the red stars are the Orion constellation and the circle on the outside is an O, also for O’Ryan. The letters inside the circle form NYD for New York Division.
