Our Army at the Front

In Short

This contemporary record details the journey of the American Expeditionary Forces in France from the early summer of 1917 through the armistice in November 1918. Written by a front-line press correspondent, the narrative traces the arrival of General Pershing, the rigorous transformation of raw troops, and the eventual entry of American divisions into major combat operations. The volume concludes with General Pershing's official preliminary report to the Secretary of War. It has endured as a vivid, immediate chronicle capturing the logistics, spirit, and reality of the American military effort during the First World War.

The Story

The chronicle opens in June 1917 as General John J. Pershing lands in Europe, establishing a presence that quickly captures the public imagination of a war-weary France. In Paris, formal ceremonies and intense public enthusiasm mark the official entry of the United States into the war. Soon after, the First Division lands at coastal ports, setting off a massive logistical effort to establish bases, assembling yards, and training grounds across the French countryside.

Before troops can enter combat, an entire infrastructure must be constructed from scratch. American engineers, technical experts, and stevedores build sprawling supply depots, giant refrigerating plants, rail lines, and aviation facilities. Meanwhile, raw recruits undergo intensive field instruction. Guided by French Alpine Chasseurs and British instructors, the soldiers practice trench construction, bayonet drills, target shooting with rifles, and survival techniques for chemical warfare inside gas chambers. Support organizations, including the Red Cross, Y.M.C.A., Knights of Columbus, and Salvation Army, set up canteens, organize morale events, and coordinate communications between soldiers and their families back home.

By the autumn of 1917, American units begin taking over quiet sectors in the line to gain practical trench experience. Initial skirmishes and German raids at places like Toul, Badonviller, and Apremont give way to larger engagements. Spring 1918 brings a major test at Seicheprey, followed by a critical defensive stand in May and June when U.S. Marines and infantry units are rushed to Chateau-Thierry and Belleau Wood to halt a German drive toward the Marne.

During the summer of 1918, the American role shifts from defensive support to offensive action. In late July, American forces join French troops in the Second Battle of the Marne, engaging in brutal hand-to-hand combat to take key points like Sergy and pushing the enemy back past the Vesle River. With a distinct American army fully organized under General Pershing, U.S. forces execute their first independent offensive at the St. Mihiel salient in September, capturing thousands of prisoners and clearing the region.

Immediately following St. Mihiel, the American army pivots into the massive Meuse-Argonne campaign, driving through heavily fortified German positions toward Sedan. The dense woods, barbed wire, and artillery turn the advance into a grinding, costly struggle. The story finishes as Germany capitulates on November 11, 1918, followed by Pershing’s formal military report outlining the structural design, logistics, and unit actions of the campaign.

How It Unfolds

The arrival in France General Pershing lands in Europe, meeting French leaders and visiting historic sites like Napoleon’s tomb before formal ceremonies in Paris welcome the first American troops.

Building the camps The First Division arrives at coastal ports and quickly transitions from initial public celebrations to hard labor, constructing permanent facilities and clearing space for incoming divisions.

Learning the trade Doughboys undergo rigorous training under French and British supervision, mastering gas masks, grenade throwing, target shooting, and squad maneuvers in the French countryside.

Constructing the rear Engineers and specialized labor units build a vast logistical web consisting of hundreds of warehouses, assembling plants, ice factories, and supply railroads to support the expanding army.

Entering the line Battalions move into quiet trench sectors near Toul and Luneville, enduring their first artillery bombardments, enemy raids, and initial skirmishes while establishing their own positions.

Testing at the Marne Rushed to the front in late May 1918, American Marines and infantry hold the river crossings at Chateau-Thierry and engage in intense fighting to blunt the German advance.

The offensive push Allied forces launch counter-offensives at the Marne and Sergy, forcing a German retreat back across the Vesle and erasing the salient threatening Paris.

St. Mihiel and Argonne The newly organized First American Army clears the St. Mihiel salient in a swift strike, then immediately launches the protracted, bloody Meuse-Argonne offensive until the cease-fire sounds.

The People

• General John J. Pershing: The Commander in Chief of the American Expeditionary Forces. He seeks to build an independent, unified American army with a strong emphasis on open-warfare training and rifle marksmanship. Facing immense logistical hurdles and pressure to merge U.S. troops directly into foreign armies, he maintains firm control over American operations through to the final victory.
• The American Doughboy: The collective civilian-turned-soldier making up the infantry ranks. Driven by a mixture of homesickness, curiosity, and eagerness to fight, these troops must adapt quickly from peacetime habits to the grueling realities of gas attacks, trench mud, and hand-to-hand combat.
• The U.S. Marines: Front-line shock troops deployed during critical emergencies. Expecting hard combat, they are thrown into the breach at Chateau-Thierry without previous experience under heavy shellfire, holding their ground against veteran German units.
• The French Alpine Chasseurs: Veteran French infantrymen assigned to train the incoming Americans. Experienced and pragmatic, they impart vital tactical lessons in grenade throwing and trench defense while fostering comradeship with the newly arrived units.
• Henry Allen: A newspaper man who directs the Red Cross Department of Home Communications. He aims to ease the mental strain on soldiers and their families by establishing a tracking system across hospitals and trench sectors to pass vital personal news back and forth.

In Its Own Voice

"France could do no more."

When General Pershing is shown the historic Napoleonic relics in Paris, the French hosts break long-standing tradition by opening the display cases to hand him Napoleon's sword and Grand Cross cordon.

"The housekeepers of the army could not be spared for celebrations."

As select units entrain for the Fourth of July parade in Paris, the rest of the First Division remains behind at the coastal landing camps to continue building facilities.

"They were concombres."

A French officer describes how coolly the inexperienced U.S. Marines waited under heavy artillery fire before moving into position at Chateau-Thierry.

What It's Really About

The text examines the rapid transformation of a non-military society into a modern industrial war machine. Beyond the tactical movements on the battlefield, the narrative focuses on the immense organizational, technical, and human efforts required to move millions of people across an ocean into an active war zone. It contrasts the romantic assumptions of war held by fresh recruits with the methodical, often grueling realities of modern logistics, training, and defense. At its core, the work explores how national identity, discipline, and individual adaptiveness coalesce when an inexperienced force is thrust into an established, total war.

Why Read It Today

This account provides an authentic, real-time snapshot of the American military experience in World War I, captured right as events unfolded rather than through the lens of late-twentieth-century retrospection. Readers interested in military history, logistics, and social history will appreciate the granular detail given to construction, training routines, and front-line conditions. The prose is clean, direct, and free of artificial sentimentality, blending battlefield observation with administrative facts.

The writing reflects the exact period in which it was produced, which means readers will encounter historical terminology, early 20th-century civilian perspectives, and the straightforward military reporting style of the era. The inclusion of General Pershing’s formal report at the end adds a stark contrast of military data to the preceding narrative chapters. It remains a valuable, unvarnished primary narrative for anyone seeking to understand how the United States constructed and fielded its army in Europe.