2018-03-14 - Winter Speaker Event - “The Well-Equipped Doughboy”: The Life of a World War I Soldier
Military-history
scholar Arthur Green carries the Museum’s current focus on World
War I* to the level of the individual soldier—what he wore, what he
carried, and why. Using artifacts from his impressive private
collection, he puts the American Doughboy’s uniform and equipment
in its historic context and gives us an insightful look at the life
of the American G.I. in this bloody and senseless conflict.
“Our
involvement was relatively small in terms of numbers compared with
the other combatants,” he reminds us, “but it was decisive.”
The Allied troops, decimated and discouraged after more than three
years of trench warfare, welcomed arriving American forces with
relief. The Americans were fresh, determined, and well-equipped.
Arthur describes just how well equipped.
Just
a few years earlier, the U.S., in response to lessons learned in the
Spanish-American War overhauled how it outfits the military. Olive
drab became the standard. Cotton webbing replaced leather. For the
first time, uniforms came in summer and winter versions. As Arthur
puts it, “The Army got a facelift.”
Click [_] box on the bottom right of the video for fullscreen