Trenches to Foxholes: This Day in World War History-August 24 1914 American poet Alan Seeger volunteers to serve as a private in the Foreign Legion of the French army. After training at Toulouse, his regiment is sent to the trenches of northern France, where to Seegers dismay they see little actual combat. In a letter to the New York Sun written in December 1914, Seeger voices his frustration with life in the trenches: This style of warfare is extremely modern and for the artillerymen is doubtless very interesting, but for the poor common soldier it is anything but romantic. His role is simply to dig himself a hole in the ground and to keep hidden in it as tightly as possible. Continually under the fire of the opposing batteries, he is yet never allowed to get a glimpse of the enemy. Exposed to all the dangers of war, but with none of its enthusiasms or splendid élan [spirit], he is condemned to sit like an animal in its burrow and hear the shells whistle over his head and take their little daily toll from his comrades. 1942 U.S. forces continue to deliver crushing blows to the Japanese, sinking the aircraft carrier Ryuho in the Battle of the East Solomon Islands. Key to the Americans success in this battle was the work of coastwatchers, a group of volunteers whose job it is to report on Japanese ship and aircraft movement..
Posted on: Sun, 24 Aug 2014 06:02:04 +0000
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