Duty, honor, privilege : New York's Silk Stocking Regiment and the breaking of the Hindenburg Line / Stephen L. Harris.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Harris, Stephen L.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

United States. Army. Infantry Regiment, 107th.

World War, 1914-1918--Regimental histories--United States.

World War, 1914-1918.

World War, 1914-1918--Western Front.

United States. Army. Infantry Regiment, 107th--History.

United States.

History.

Physical Description:

xviii, 374 pages : illustrations, map ; 24 cm

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

Washington, D.C. : Brassey's, [2001]

Summary:

On September 29, 1918, a regiment of volunteers from New York State, many of them rich boys from Manhattan, attacked the feared Hindenburg Line, one of the strongest defensive systems ever devised. At a frightful cost, suffering more killed on a single day than any other regiment in American history, they broke the enemy and helped conclude World War I.

Interweaving extracts from diaries, letters, and previously published accounts, Stephen Harris follows the "silk stocking soldiers" from their earnest excitement during the early days of war, through their desperation in the dreadful trenches of Europe, and finally to their hometown heroes' welcome, the largest parade in New York City history.

Contents:

Prologue: A Big Game Can Be Played But Once 1

Chapter 1 True Soldiers Every Man of Them 13

Chapter 2 The Regiment ... Has Always Done Its Duty, and It Always Will 33

Chapter 3 The First and the Seventh and Nothing In-Between 62

Chapter 4 The Most Marvelous, Miraculous and Impressive Thing I Ever Witnessed 83

Chapter 5 I Can Only Say Good-bye

Good Luck

God Bless You 104

Chapter 6 His Heart, I Know, Is Back in God's Country 127

Chapter 7 I Want ... to Keep These Fellows Over Here Cheerful 144

Chapter 8 He Was Their Gunga Din 167

Chapter 9 That Country Was Full of Gas and Dead Englishmen 180

Chapter 10 You Are Being Fattened Up for the Next Killing, You Know 189

Chapter 11 We Were Up Against the Line Itself 209

Chapter 12 It Was an Awful Time 225

Chapter 13 How in God's Name Can Anyone Live in This? 237

Chapter 14 Lads Here, Lads There, Torn Almost Limb from Limb 268

Chapter 15 The Best Names of the City of New York 282

Chapter 16 We Keep Moving ... Deeper ... into the Darkness of This Dream 296

Chapter 17 Hell Popped That Morning 310

Epilogue: It's Over and Now I Know I'm Going to Live! 330.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 355-360) and index.

ISBN:

1574882015

OCLC:

45446308