In 1918, during the heat of World War One, two million American soldiers left home to join with the American Expeditionary Force in France. Many, leaving home for the first time, saw fighting in the Great War an adventure, and for many, if was their first and their last. Most of the men were inexperienced and ill-prepared for the challenges they were to face. Trench warfare was not pretty, and the bad conditions and week morale rattled the men as hard as the exploding shells around them did. These things and the hoards of death, both of their countrymen and their enemies hardened the troops to the harsh realities of war. The troops were relieved when they could rest and seek aid from the various volunteer organizations behind the lines. The front lines in France were somber and the men that did survive went home changed; some for good, and some for worse.
1. Why were the doughboys so keen on leaving their homes to fight war overseas?
2. How did the realities of War effect the soldiers?
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