History of Ambulance Company Number 139

In Short

This book serves as a collective memoir of the United States Army’s 139th Ambulance Company during the First World War. Written by the soldiers themselves while awaiting transport home, it chronicles the entire arc of their mobilization: from the initial recruitment drive in Kansas to the brutal realities of the French battlefield and the subsequent occupational duties following the Armistice. Because it was composed while memories were still raw, it stands as an intimate, unpolished record of the ordinary citizen-soldier’s transformation into a veteran of the Great War.

The Story

The narrative begins in April 1917, shortly after the United States declares war on Germany. Dr. Edwin R. Tenney receives the charge to organize the first National Guard ambulance company in Kansas history. The initial chapters capture the domestic rhythm of preparation: the recruitment of local volunteers, the transition to military life at Camp Doniphan in Oklahoma, and the communal experience of enduring harsh winters and the long wait for deployment. The soldiers’ voices reveal a mix of youthful enthusiasm and the mounting realization of the gravity of their mission.

The second movement of the story shifts to the overseas transit. The men describe the cramped, puzzle-like conditions of the S. S. Louisville, their initial arrival in England, and their rapid deployment to France. The tone matures as the unit reaches the front. Assigned to the Wesserling Sector in Alsace, the company encounters its first taste of genuine conflict. The camaraderie of the barracks is replaced by the grim mechanics of war: the construction of dressing stations, the constant threat of artillery bombardments, and the physical struggle of navigating steep terrain to retrieve the wounded.

The climax of the account unfolds during the Meuse-Argonne offensive. Here, the logistical challenges become overwhelming; the unit faces a severe shortage of supplies and transport, forcing the men to innovate under fire. The narrative unflinchingly describes the landscape of the Western Front, where the earth is pulverized by shells and the debris of previous battles—including human remains—is scattered across the scarred hills of Verdun. The exhaustion of the soldiers is palpable as they navigate the chaos of shifting lines and constant, deafening artillery barrages.

Following the Armistice on November 11, the story turns toward the uncertain period of occupation. The unit moves through various French villages, performing tasks ranging from cleaning up dilapidated billets to managing the influenza outbreaks that decimated the ranks of newer arrivals. The men are granted furloughs to picturesque towns like Grenoble and La Bourboule, offering a brief respite from the war's trauma. The book concludes with the final preparation for the return journey, the dissolution of their wartime bonds, and the transition back to "civies." Throughout the account, the focus remains on the collective effort—the cooks, the litter bearers, and the drivers—rather than the glory of commanders.

How It Unfolds

The mobilization begins Dr. Edwin R. Tenney efficiently recruits the unit in Kansas, rapidly transforming a group of civilians into a cohesive National Guard ambulance company. The men undergo rigorous training in Oklahoma, enduring extreme weather and the initial pressures of military discipline while forming the friendships that will sustain them through the war.

The passage overseas The unit boards the S. S. Louisville for a crowded, two-week crossing, arriving in England before quickly moving on to France. The novelty of foreign travel is soon tempered by the reality of their equipment and the start of their specialized training in litter drill and gas mask operation.

Life on the front lines The company enters active service in Alsace, establishing dressing stations in the mountains and experiencing their first encounters with shell fire. They learn to survive in dugouts, using humor and songs—often parodies of popular tunes—to cope with the constant danger of artillery strikes and the physical toll of evacuation work.

The Meuse-Argonne offensive The pace of the narrative accelerates as the unit is thrust into the center of the war's most intense fighting. They struggle against a lack of transport and food, working under extreme conditions to evacuate the wounded while passing through a landscape ravaged by years of continuous combat.

Post-war transition The final chapters follow the unit through the period immediately after the Armistice, documenting their efforts to maintain sanitation in French villages and their eventual furloughs. The book concludes as the men process their experiences, clean their equipment, and prepare to return to their homes in Kansas.

The People

Dr. Edwin R. Tenney emerges as the central architect of the company, a veteran of the Spanish-American War whose organizational skill is the primary reason the unit is fully recruited within a month. He provides the initial professional anchor for the men.

Among the ranks, individuals like "John," the red-headed chef, represent the vital role of logistical support, earning the gratitude of his peers by producing high-quality meals during the holidays despite the limitations of army rations. Other figures, such as Lieutenant Siberts and Lieutenant Vardon, act as the tactical leaders who coordinate the litter squads and dressing stations under fire.

The soldiers themselves—men like Covington, who immortalizes a near-death experience in a dugout through a parody song, and Tony Cataldi, whose Italian spirit and defiance toward authority during a forced march provide a moment of levity—are the heartbeat of the book. These men move from being eager volunteers to weary, seasoned survivors. They are defined not by individual heroism, but by their endurance; they are united by the shared burden of physical labor, the lack of transportation, and the omnipresent threat of death. By the time they return to the U.S., they are fundamentally changed, marked by the shared trauma of the trenches and the unique camaraderie that only such intense service can produce.

In Its Own Voice

"A man casts dignity aside and sprints when shells begin dropping around him."

This line appears when the men describe the chaotic, undignified scramble for safety during an artillery bombardment near their dressing station.

"The ground is simply pulverized."

The author uses this stark, plain description to convey the total devastation of the landscape near the battlefields of Verdun.

"The only thing that kept the rest going was pride."

This reflection describes the internal struggle of the exhausted men during a grueling, unnecessary hike through rain and mud toward Benney.

What It's Really About

At its core, this account explores the friction between the grand, abstract goals of a world war and the immediate, gritty reality of medical service. It asks what happens to the human body and spirit when forced to operate in a landscape where traditional civilization has been erased. The book argues that the "real" war is not fought in the grand maneuvers of generals, but in the small, often neglected tasks of the medical corps: finding a way to feed hungry men when supplies vanish, keeping a dressing station functioning under shell fire, and maintaining a sense of humor in a dugout. It is a testament to the resilience of the ordinary, focusing on the endurance of the individual soldier against the overwhelming, indifferent machinery of modern conflict.

Why Read It Today

Readers interested in the granular, day-to-day experience of the First World War will find this book essential. It lacks the detached perspective of a textbook or the polished tone of modern historical fiction; instead, it offers a raw, honest look at the logistical nightmares and the persistent, quiet fatigue of frontline service. The prose is functional and direct, reflecting the urgency of the men who wrote it in a barn loft, and for that reason, it feels remarkably immediate.

Readers should be prepared for the realities of the period, including its specific, sometimes outdated attitudes and the occasional use of now-archaic slang. The narrative does not shy away from the horrific sights of the battlefield, such as the remnants of war left in the earth at Verdun. While it contains a lengthy company roster that may feel tedious to a general reader, these names serve as a powerful reminder of the specific, local lives that were disrupted by the conflict. It is a book for those who want to understand the war not through maps and casualty numbers, but through the eyes of the men who hauled the litters, dodged the shells, and wondered, in the mud of France, when they would finally see home again.