Alva Review-Courier -

A centennial is about to be celebrated: the beginning of American involvement in World War I this June 14.. America’s most recent war with no survivors, no “doughboy” alive to tell the tale, the war was pivotal in history as it marked the time when 19th century muskets were replaced with tanks, airplanes, automatic weapons and modern artillery.

Mobilized in 12 transports, protected from German U-boats by destroyers, and commanded by General John Pershing, veterans of the expedition to catch Pancho Villa, those who fought in the Philippines against Moro rebels, a handful from the Spanish-American war, and a few thousand enlistees landed at Saint-Nazaire, France, after a two-week voyage. These 12,000 represented all 48 states before the draft began in mid-July.

The First Expeditionary Division stood as the first of the more than 2 million who would eventually serve. In addition to their Springfield rifles and Colt .45 pistols, they were trained on the Hotchkiss machine gun and the Chauchat automatic rifle. They also were introduced to trench warfare and night patrols in no-man’s land, dodging mines, artillery rounds and the inevitable sniper who was always watching for movement.

Initially ordered to “hold the line,” they went on the offensive to capture the town of Cantigny after it was “softened” by the pounding of 386 cannons converging on an area of less than 1 square mile!

The “Big Red One,” as the division came to be called, earned further acclaim in World War II and is legendary in Vietnam.