Borrowed Soldiers by Mitch Yockelson

I had the distinct honor of having Dr. Mitchell Yockelson as my thesis adviser in graduate school. In addition to being a prominent member of the staff of the National Archives and Records Administration, Mitch is also a first rate First World War scholar. The following is a presentation he gave on his excellent book, Borrowed Soldiers: Americans Under British Command, 1918.

Hello Again

Well, I think it’s safe to say that if this blog was a child I would be thrown into prison for criminal neglect. Nonetheless, I have been trying to keep up with events and the first big development to announce is that the United States has officially formed a World War I Centennial Commission. Here is their mission, as described on their website:

The Commission was established by the World War I Centennial Commission Act, part of Public Law 112-272 passed by the 112th Congress and signed by President Obama on January 16, 2013.  The Commission is responsible for planning, developing, and executing programs, projects, and activities to commemorate the centennial of World War I; encouraging private organizations and State and local governments to organize and participate in activities commemorating the centennial of World War I; facilitating and coordinating activities throughout the United States relating to the centennial of World War I; serving as a clearinghouse for the collection and dissemination of information about events and plans for the centennial of World War I; and developing recommendations for Congress and the President for commemorating the centennial of World War I.

The events and activities will last from 2017 through 2019.

The first meeting was this past Friday, September 13^th and as you’ll see as you navigate through the site, they are still moving from the organizational phase into actual planning. 

Also, my first venture into publishing about the First World War is complete!

I’m happy to announce that “Storming the Heights of the Meuse: The 29^th and 33^rd Divisions Fight for Control of the High Ground, 8-16 October” will be included in A Companion to the Meuse-Argonne Campaign, 1918. This volume will be released in January and is part of the Wiley-Blackwell “Companions to American History” series and has as its editor none other than Ed Lengel.

 Here is the abstract:

During the second phase of the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, the American 29^th and 33rd Divisions were given the task of silencing German artillery along the heights of the Meuse River. This essay explores the service of these two American divisions, fighting under the command of the French XVII Corps, and their experiences east of the Meuse. From 8-16 October 1918 the American and French servicemen pushed into difficult terrain, having to overcome fierce resistance from the German Fifth Army. Their experiences serve as a unique window into the leadership of the American Expeditionary Forces and shed light on how the Meuse-Argonne Offensive as a whole was conducted.

It was truly an honor to get to work with Ed on this project and I am humbled that my work will be included alongside the outstanding First World War historians that he assembled for this volume.

Finally, the World War One Historical Association & National World War I Museum at Liberty Memorial have combined to offer a symposium on November 8 & 9, 2013.  It is entitled “The Coming of the Great War” and will seek to shed light on “the political, social, economic, cultural, and military events between 1870 and 1913, leading to the Great War.”

Click here for more details.