Okla-homey
6/26/2007, 06:26 AM
June 26, 1917: First U.S. Army troops arrive in France
http://aycu40.webshots.com/image/19799/2005574161585390671_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2005574161585390671)
Newly arrived US troops enjoying a smoke
Ninety years ago today, during World War I, the first 14,000 U.S. infantry troops land in France at the port of Saint Nazaire. The landing site had been kept secret because of the menace of German submarines, but by the time the Americans had lined up to take their first salute on French soil, an enthusiastic crowd had gathered to welcome them.
However, the "Doughboys," as the British referred to the green American troops, were untrained, ill-equipped, and far from ready for the difficulties of fighting along the Western Front.
One of U.S. General John J. Pershing's first duties as commander of the American Expeditionary Force was to set up training camps in France and establish communication and supply networks.
http://aycu28.webshots.com/image/18907/2005542712988883795_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2005542712988883795)
JOHN JOSEPH PERSHING was born near Laclede, Missouri, on 13 September 1860; attended the State Normal School, then graduated from the United States Military Academy, 1886. Pershing performed garrison and field duties in the Southwest and Northern Plains, 1886-1890, and participated in the Wounded Knee campaign. He was also professor of military science and tactics (ROTC) at the University of Nebraska, 1891-1895, studying law concurrently and receiving his degree in 1893. Pershing was promoted to first lieutenant and assigned to the 10th Cavalry ("Buffalo Soldiers") in October 1892. He picked up his nickname "Black Jack" at this time due to his assignment to the negro regiment. Pershing served with the 10th in Cuba, including operations at San Juan Hill. He was reverted to a regular captaincy, June 1901, and assigned successively to the 1st and 10th Cavalry; served in the Philippines as a departmental adjutant general and engineer officer, collector of customs, and cavalry squadron commander, participating in actions against Moros, 1899-1903; served on the War Department General Staff, 1903-1904, and as assistant chief of staff of the Southwestern Division, 1904. Pershing attended the Army War College at Carlisle PA, 1904-1905. He married Frances Warren, 1905; was military attaché to Japan and an observer of the Russo-Japanese War, 1905-1906; at President Roosevelt's nomination, was promoted to brigadier general over 862 senior-ranking officers, September 1906; commanded the Department of California, 1906, and Fort McKinley, 1907-1908; was assigned to the Office of the Chief of Staff, 1908-1909; was governor of Moro Province and commander, Department of Mindanao, 1909-1913; commanded the 8th Infantry Brigade at the Presidio of San Francisco, 1914-1916, where in 1915 he lost his wife and three daughters in a fire; led the Mexican Punitive Expedition, 1916-1917, receiving promotion to major general during the campaign; was promoted to general, October 1917; commanded the American Expeditionary Forces in France in World War I, 1917-1919; was advanced to the rank of General of the Armies, September 1919; moved his headquarters to Washington, prepared a report on the war, and made an extended tour of military inspection, 1919-1921. Pershings career culminated as Chief of Staff of the United States Army, 1 July 1921-13 September 1924
http://aycu19.webshots.com/image/19418/2005576799980095050_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2005576799980095050)
The US troops were kept out of combat until they had received additional training by British and French veterans on the horrors and tactics of trench warfare. The bloody stalemate had been ongoing for three years by the time the Yanks arrived on the European continent.
http://aycu27.webshots.com/image/20106/2005506395715903194_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2005506395715903194)
US troops saddling-up for the Front
Four months later, on October 21, the first Americans entered combat when units from the U.S. Army's First Infantry Division (a/k/a "the Big Red One") were assigned to Allied trenches in the Luneville sector near Nancy, France.
http://aycu18.webshots.com/image/20897/2005566748659947223_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2005566748659947223)
First Infantry Division patch. "The Big Red One"
Each American unit was attached to a corresponding French unit. Two days later, Corporal Robert Bralet of the Sixth Artillery became the first U.S. soldier to fire a shot in the war when he discharged a French 75mm gun into a German trench a half mile away.
On November 2, Corporal James Gresham and privates Thomas Enright and Merle Hay of the First Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment became the first American soldiers to die when Germans raided their trenches near Bathelemont, France.
http://aycu19.webshots.com/image/17258/2005504710963502071_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2005504710963502071)
US troops being driven by Vietnamese soldiers. During the period, Vietnam was known as French Indochina and Indochinese troops fought for France in WWI.
After three years of stalemate along the Western Front, the entrance of America's well-supplied, fresh, and enthusiastic forces into the conflict was a major turning point in the war. As an aside, the arrival of US troops was not decisive in the sense our guys were better soldiers. Instead, our arrival was decisive because the the other combatants had been bled white and nearly bankrupted by the years of fighting and our guys represented a new source of manpower and material which the German Empire and its allies couldn't hope to match. Thus, US involvment tipped the balance in favor of our allies.
When the war finally ended about a year and a half after the arrival of US forces on November 11, 1918, more than two million American soldiers had served on the battlefields of Western Europe, and more than 50,000 of these men had lost their lives.
http://aycu25.webshots.com/image/17784/2005510565704542612_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2005510565704542612)
Again "Over There," Soldiers of the First Brigade, First Infantry Division clearing Fallujah
http://aycu07.webshots.com/image/19966/2005516399023304424_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2005516399023304424)
http://aycu40.webshots.com/image/19799/2005574161585390671_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2005574161585390671)
Newly arrived US troops enjoying a smoke
Ninety years ago today, during World War I, the first 14,000 U.S. infantry troops land in France at the port of Saint Nazaire. The landing site had been kept secret because of the menace of German submarines, but by the time the Americans had lined up to take their first salute on French soil, an enthusiastic crowd had gathered to welcome them.
However, the "Doughboys," as the British referred to the green American troops, were untrained, ill-equipped, and far from ready for the difficulties of fighting along the Western Front.
One of U.S. General John J. Pershing's first duties as commander of the American Expeditionary Force was to set up training camps in France and establish communication and supply networks.
http://aycu28.webshots.com/image/18907/2005542712988883795_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2005542712988883795)
JOHN JOSEPH PERSHING was born near Laclede, Missouri, on 13 September 1860; attended the State Normal School, then graduated from the United States Military Academy, 1886. Pershing performed garrison and field duties in the Southwest and Northern Plains, 1886-1890, and participated in the Wounded Knee campaign. He was also professor of military science and tactics (ROTC) at the University of Nebraska, 1891-1895, studying law concurrently and receiving his degree in 1893. Pershing was promoted to first lieutenant and assigned to the 10th Cavalry ("Buffalo Soldiers") in October 1892. He picked up his nickname "Black Jack" at this time due to his assignment to the negro regiment. Pershing served with the 10th in Cuba, including operations at San Juan Hill. He was reverted to a regular captaincy, June 1901, and assigned successively to the 1st and 10th Cavalry; served in the Philippines as a departmental adjutant general and engineer officer, collector of customs, and cavalry squadron commander, participating in actions against Moros, 1899-1903; served on the War Department General Staff, 1903-1904, and as assistant chief of staff of the Southwestern Division, 1904. Pershing attended the Army War College at Carlisle PA, 1904-1905. He married Frances Warren, 1905; was military attaché to Japan and an observer of the Russo-Japanese War, 1905-1906; at President Roosevelt's nomination, was promoted to brigadier general over 862 senior-ranking officers, September 1906; commanded the Department of California, 1906, and Fort McKinley, 1907-1908; was assigned to the Office of the Chief of Staff, 1908-1909; was governor of Moro Province and commander, Department of Mindanao, 1909-1913; commanded the 8th Infantry Brigade at the Presidio of San Francisco, 1914-1916, where in 1915 he lost his wife and three daughters in a fire; led the Mexican Punitive Expedition, 1916-1917, receiving promotion to major general during the campaign; was promoted to general, October 1917; commanded the American Expeditionary Forces in France in World War I, 1917-1919; was advanced to the rank of General of the Armies, September 1919; moved his headquarters to Washington, prepared a report on the war, and made an extended tour of military inspection, 1919-1921. Pershings career culminated as Chief of Staff of the United States Army, 1 July 1921-13 September 1924
http://aycu19.webshots.com/image/19418/2005576799980095050_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2005576799980095050)
The US troops were kept out of combat until they had received additional training by British and French veterans on the horrors and tactics of trench warfare. The bloody stalemate had been ongoing for three years by the time the Yanks arrived on the European continent.
http://aycu27.webshots.com/image/20106/2005506395715903194_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2005506395715903194)
US troops saddling-up for the Front
Four months later, on October 21, the first Americans entered combat when units from the U.S. Army's First Infantry Division (a/k/a "the Big Red One") were assigned to Allied trenches in the Luneville sector near Nancy, France.
http://aycu18.webshots.com/image/20897/2005566748659947223_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2005566748659947223)
First Infantry Division patch. "The Big Red One"
Each American unit was attached to a corresponding French unit. Two days later, Corporal Robert Bralet of the Sixth Artillery became the first U.S. soldier to fire a shot in the war when he discharged a French 75mm gun into a German trench a half mile away.
On November 2, Corporal James Gresham and privates Thomas Enright and Merle Hay of the First Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment became the first American soldiers to die when Germans raided their trenches near Bathelemont, France.
http://aycu19.webshots.com/image/17258/2005504710963502071_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2005504710963502071)
US troops being driven by Vietnamese soldiers. During the period, Vietnam was known as French Indochina and Indochinese troops fought for France in WWI.
After three years of stalemate along the Western Front, the entrance of America's well-supplied, fresh, and enthusiastic forces into the conflict was a major turning point in the war. As an aside, the arrival of US troops was not decisive in the sense our guys were better soldiers. Instead, our arrival was decisive because the the other combatants had been bled white and nearly bankrupted by the years of fighting and our guys represented a new source of manpower and material which the German Empire and its allies couldn't hope to match. Thus, US involvment tipped the balance in favor of our allies.
When the war finally ended about a year and a half after the arrival of US forces on November 11, 1918, more than two million American soldiers had served on the battlefields of Western Europe, and more than 50,000 of these men had lost their lives.
http://aycu25.webshots.com/image/17784/2005510565704542612_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2005510565704542612)
Again "Over There," Soldiers of the First Brigade, First Infantry Division clearing Fallujah
http://aycu07.webshots.com/image/19966/2005516399023304424_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2005516399023304424)