In the book An American Soldier in World War I, editor David L. Snead focuses on George “Brownie” Browne and his experience in the 117th Engineering Regiment from 1917 to 1919. Snead uses some of the over one hundred letters written by Brownie to his fiancée, Martha “Marty” Johnson, to tell the story of World War I through the eyes of a soldier. The compilation of letters reveals the day-to-day routine experienced by the American troops from preparation to discharge. However, Snead does not simply publish Brownie’s letters, but instead pieces it together with the broader context of the war to record an important piece of American History. An American Soldier in World War I was written by Snead to examine the training of American soldiers and
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Snead prefaces the story with an explanation of the situation America found itself in during 1917. “The American military faced an unprecedented task when the United States entered World War I… Raising an army was relatively easy… Much more difficult, however, was actually preparing the men for battle.” He then transitions to Brownie’s take on the training. By using letters from one of the men who experienced it rather than simply writing the explanation himself, Snead is able to more clearly examine what the soldiers experienced. Instead of receiving Snead’s insight, readers can read the words of a soldier who actually experienced the situation which allows the book to provide a point-of-view that history textbooks often neglect. Some of the problems that both Brownie and Snead highlighted were the vaccinations and the lack of clothing. Snead writes, “The supply situation was also critical. The arm constantly struggled to meet the needs of its expanding forces.” In the letter following this paragraph, Brownie wrote, “They haven’t even given us our coats yet; only one pair of shoes and one shirt… We have two pairs of trousers, two changes of underwear, three pairs of socks and a hat.” Snead effectively examines the struggle America faced in training the sudden influx of soldiers through a combination of analysis and Brownie’s …show more content…
When describing the voyage across the Atlantic, Snead does an excellent job incorporating his own analysis with both Brownie’s and other soldiers’ experiences. While the inclusion of other soldiers’ take on the trip may seem repetitive, it added an aspect of a broader context that was lacking in the beginning of the book. By including other letters and anecdotes from various soldiers, Snead is able to show that Brownie’s experiences were widely shared. Readers are also able to see the way soldiers talked. When describing the conditions of the amenities on the trains, one sergeant commented, “The constipated were fortunate. The poor devil who just had to go… swung his tail out into the breeze and shuddered at the sight of the ties and gravel whizzing by below his bare butt.” The things these soldiers said were often very straight-forward and honest. By including quotes like these, Snead is not only able to summarize the conditions, but also shows a slight glimpse of early 1900s American culture as well. In his analysis, Snead reports the conditions in the trenches. “Soldiers faced significant health risks because of these… conditions. The environment created a breeding ground for numerous disease-carrying parasites such as fleas and lice, a particular nuisance for a soldier serving in the trenches.” However, when speaking of the battle of the
Snead prefaces the story with an explanation of the situation America found itself in during 1917. “The American military faced an unprecedented task when the United States entered World War I… Raising an army was relatively easy… Much more difficult, however, was actually preparing the men for battle.” He then transitions to Brownie’s take on the training. By using letters from one of the men who experienced it rather than simply writing the explanation himself, Snead is able to more clearly examine what the soldiers experienced. Instead of receiving Snead’s insight, readers can read the words of a soldier who actually experienced the situation which allows the book to provide a point-of-view that history textbooks often neglect. Some of the problems that both Brownie and Snead highlighted were the vaccinations and the lack of clothing. Snead writes, “The supply situation was also critical. The arm constantly struggled to meet the needs of its expanding forces.” In the letter following this paragraph, Brownie wrote, “They haven’t even given us our coats yet; only one pair of shoes and one shirt… We have two pairs of trousers, two changes of underwear, three pairs of socks and a hat.” Snead effectively examines the struggle America faced in training the sudden influx of soldiers through a combination of analysis and Brownie’s …show more content…
When describing the voyage across the Atlantic, Snead does an excellent job incorporating his own analysis with both Brownie’s and other soldiers’ experiences. While the inclusion of other soldiers’ take on the trip may seem repetitive, it added an aspect of a broader context that was lacking in the beginning of the book. By including other letters and anecdotes from various soldiers, Snead is able to show that Brownie’s experiences were widely shared. Readers are also able to see the way soldiers talked. When describing the conditions of the amenities on the trains, one sergeant commented, “The constipated were fortunate. The poor devil who just had to go… swung his tail out into the breeze and shuddered at the sight of the ties and gravel whizzing by below his bare butt.” The things these soldiers said were often very straight-forward and honest. By including quotes like these, Snead is not only able to summarize the conditions, but also shows a slight glimpse of early 1900s American culture as well. In his analysis, Snead reports the conditions in the trenches. “Soldiers faced significant health risks because of these… conditions. The environment created a breeding ground for numerous disease-carrying parasites such as fleas and lice, a particular nuisance for a soldier serving in the trenches.” However, when speaking of the battle of the