Introduction

It was called The Great War. The devastation and human suffering was unparalleled. Man found new and more violent means of wreaking destruction than in any previous war. Terms such as foxholes, doughboys, D–Day, cooties, and shellshock all came into use in World War I. Irving Berlin’s military hymn “Over There” became the rally cry for America’s youth to enlist in Uncle Sam’s Army.

While most people were familiar with the names of George, Kitchener, Wilson, Pershing, and Churchill, the war was not just about the leaders of nations and armies. Those armies were made up of common men who did uncommon things in a time of terrible violence.

These men left behind parents, siblings, sweethearts, and children who carefully followed their loved ones through newspapers, letters, post cards and telegrams. They fought the good fight at home, planting victory gardens and sacrificing so their men would have what they needed to fight the enemy.