Description
Book Synopsis Much has been written about the exploits of the American Expeditionary Forces, the men and women sent overseas to fight during World War I, but much less is known about the two million who served in the Army without ever setting foot on foreign soil. This book examines the history of depot brigades, development battalions, U.S. Guards units, Students'' Army Training Corps, and other forgotten troops charged with training soldiers, guarding installations, and performing myriad other duties. It also chronicles the service of men like actor Jimmy Cagney, author F. Scott Fitzgerald, movie director Frank Capra, children''s author Ludwig Bemelmans, and the two million others who served in the United States during the war. At the time, many of these men considered themselves unfortunate cast-offs, doomed to spend the war safe at home while their friends served in combat overseas. But, in the end, it was largely because of them that America could field an effective fighting force.
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments
Preface
1. Building an Army
2. What Is a Depot Brigade?
3. Depot Brigades by the Numbers
4. Lame, Halt and Blind: The Development Battalions
5. Silver Chevrons Instead of Gold: The Stateside Divisions
6. The Students' Army Training Corps (SATC)
7. The "Spare Parts" Brigades: Unique and Unusual Events
8. Lost in the Shadows: Women, African Americans, Patriotic Liars and the U.S. Guards
9. Biographies from the Hilt of the Sword
10. Demobilization
11. "When I leave the world behind…"
Chapter Notes
Bibliography
Index
