This "story in documents" grew out of a box of letters and clippings saved by Alfred Barlow's mother Eva from 1918 until her death in 1952. The box kicked around amongst Barlow's children's families for the next thirty-five years, ending up in my hands in 1987.

Because the paper was aging poorly and the letters were becoming difficult to read, I deciphered them and typed them into my computer and prepared a printout, making the letters once more easily accessible to family members.

While I was doing so, stories the letters only hinted at began to intrigue me. My curiosity about this war that had so changed my grandfather's life-he lost a leg and, partly as a result, became a lawyer rather than a farmer-was piqued; I started to wonder about the many obscure allusions and unilluminated incidents mentioned in the letters. I understood that my grandfather had been unable to write about much of what he was doing-the standards of censorship were strict and he was one to keep to them-but was frustrated by the unseen pictures hinted at through his poor, stilted prose.

The history books I picked up, hoping to use them to somehow see my grandfather's war, proved little more able to satisfy my curiosity. Soon, I began looking for other means of access, finally looking for documents from the time of the war itself, documents that could bring to life my grandfather's frustrating (to me) letters.

My search quickly led to the National Archives in Washington, where I paged through forgotten, long-ago declassified Army documents, sorting through the remnants of military actions three-quarters of a century past, at last painting for myself a better picture of what that war had been to my grandfather, to one involved in its actions.

Barlow's experience was not unique to him, but fit the pattern of his time. He, and what he did, were typical of the American soldier in the First World War. Even the particular division he served with had few peculiarities. A simple infantry division, rather generic and undistinguished, its story is common to many of the divisions sent to France. It saw action, sustained losses, and gained ground against an exhausted German opposition.

In the box Eva Barlow saved, I found the following description of the service of the 37th Division. As I used it as the starting point of my search and my guide as I studied at the National Archives, it should also start this book, for it provides the frame for the entire project:

In compliance with General Orders, No. 101, War Department, 1917, the 37th Division--known as the Buckeye Division--was organized at Camp Sheridan, Montgomery, Alabama, beginning in August, 1917, when the first units of the Ohio National Guard arrived and completed in October when the last had reached camp.

The Division was built around the 1st, 2d, 3d, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th and 10th Ohio Regiments, 1st Ohio Field Artillery, 1st Ohio Cavalry, 1st Ohio Engineers, and the Ohio Signal Field Battalion.

On May 20th the Division, less its artillery, was sent to Camp Lee, Virginia, where it was filled to war strength and on June 11th, Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 134th Machine Gun Battalion and 73rd Infantry Brigade began the movement to Hoboken, sailing on June 15th and arriving in France June 22, 1918. The 74th Infantry Brigade and Engineers left Camp Lee June 21st and sailing via Newport News arrived in France July 5th.

Field Artillery Brigade, Trench Mortar Battery, Sanitary Train, Military Police and 114th Veterinary Second, left Camp Sheridan, Alabama, June 14th, for Camp Upton, sailing from there June 27th via England.

With the exception of the Field Artillery Brigade and Ammunition Train (less small arms section) the Division was sent to the Bourmont Area for training, and on August 4th went into the front lines in the Baccarat Sector in the Vosges mountains where it trained under the 6th French Corps.

On September 16th it was relieved from this sector and proceeded by rail to the vicinity of Robert-Espagne. After four days it was moved by bus to Recicourt and as part of the 5th Corps entered the Argonne drive at Avocourt. Relieved on October 1st after having advanced to Cierges, the Division was sent to Pagny-sur-Meuse from which point it was sent to hold a portion of the line in the St. Mihiel sector with headquarters at Euvezin.

After nine days in this sector the Division was withdrawn to Pagny-sur-Meuse and on October 18th began its move by rail to Belgium where with Division Headquarters at Hooglede in the Lys Sector it was attached to the French Army 30th Corps on October 22nd. Advancing to and crossing the Escaut river in a sector with Sygem as its headquarters. Forcing a crossing of the Scheldt (Escaut) river on the night of November 10-11, the advance was begun early on the 11th and pushed forward some 5 kilometers to the towns of Dickele and Hindelgem where the armistice at 11 A. M. brought the fighting to an end.

The Artillery was sent to Camp de Souge for training and assigned to the 1st Army in the Argonne offensive, never serving with its own division. It served successively with the 4th American Corps, 2d American Army, Second French Colonial Army, and 17th French Corp. At one time the three regiments of the Brigade served with three different divisions, the 28th, 33d, and 92d, and only joined the division just prior to its return to the United States.

Major General Charles G. Treat was the first commander of the Division, being relieved April 24th. On May 8th, Major General Chas. S. Farnsworth was assigned to and commanded until its return to the States.
The Division made the following captures from the enemy: Officers, 26; enlisted men, 1,747; Artillery, 19-77's; 4-195's; 10-155's; 7 Trench Mortars; Machine Guns, 261; besides many rifles and a great deal of ammunition of all calibers.

This Division made a total advance against resistance of 30 and 3/4 kilometers.

During active operations the Division suffered the following losses (as reported to War Department 10 May, 1919):- Battle deaths, 992; wounded 4,931; prisoners of war, 23. One thousand two hundred and fifty replacements were furnished the 37th Division.

The following units composed this Division:- 73rd and 74th Infantry Brigades; 145th, 146th, 147th and 148th Infantry Regiments; 135th and 136th Machine Gun Battalions; 62nd Artillery Brigade; 134th, 135th and 136th Artillery Regiments and Train; 112th Trench Mortar Battery; 134th Machine Gun Battalion; 112th Engineers Regiment and train; 112th Field Signal Battalion; 112th Train Headquarters and Military Police; 112th Supply Train; 112th Ammunition Train; 112th Sanitary Train; 145th, 146th 147th and 148th Ambulance Companies. and Field Hospitals.

As it claims, this is but a brief history, an outline. It tells little of what happened, only that things did. It tells nothing of the changes wrought by the war, yet the soldiers of the 37th Division, like all who experience war or are touched by it, were changed by it. An important point: when they and the other veterans returned home, the soldiers also changed the United States.

The story of this book, of change through war, not of glorification of war, is told through Barlow's letters, official war diary entries, field messages, field orders, newspaper articles, and other documents from the time. Some additional bits come from an history of the division published in 1926, just eight years after the end of the war. I provide some connecting material throughout, but as little as I thought possible.