Story of the 36th

The 36th Infantry division saw intense combat in World War One – the story of their training and battles in France is enwoven with rich anecdotes and details of the conflict.

Trained in Texas at Camp Bowie, much of the Corps’ exercises were orientated around the realities of the Western Front: digging trenches, bayonet practice, and use of the rifle. The arrival of the fresh units of American troops in France in the autumn of 1917 is eye-opening; much of the front was in poor condition, worn down by more than three years of stagnant warfare and horrific losses. The 36th and other divisions invigorated the Allied war effort; their enthusiasm and determination, and their solidarity with the local French citizens, gave hope that victory was near.

Yet the 36th and their companion divisions would fight for over a year: the new technology introduced to the front is described, as is the emergence of the Spanish Flu pandemic. The German army mounted a dogged defense, yet their ebbing resources and sheer manpower of the Allies made their situation ever more difficult. Amid the chaos of the front lines, German prisoners are taken on several occasions, with many appearing relieved and glad of their capture.

The author, Captain Ben H. Chastaine, accompanies his narrative with some forty photographs, allowing the reader to better visualize the events he evocatively describes.