The beginning of Doughboys, the Great War, and the Remaking of America introduced some common themes including racial inequality. One of the things that struck me most about this reading was the fact the army was forcing African Americans into menial jobs despite the fact that they had proved to be excellent soldiers. The United States Army was willing to sacrifice the quality of its soldiers in order to improve its public image. I find this amazing. Another thing that I found interesting was the introduction of intelligence tests. I thought this was very amusing. One of the quotes in the book perfectly described the usefulness of these tests. On page 27 a company commander states that “intelligence testers had rated “one of my cooks as ‘D’ and brand[ed] him as ‘illterate’… It would be a diffucult matter to find as good a cook; he is worth his weight in gold”‘ This is so true. Intelligence tests, especially early ones do not predict someone’s worth in every possible field. I find the fact that the army relied on these extremely amusing.
I thought The Diary of Alvin York was one of the most interesting things we have read. Like Co. Aytch it provided an account of war from a normal soldier. Although Alvin York does advance in rank beyond private he is still a regular person and he continues to view himself as such. I found that his perspective provided great insight into World War I. He is conflicted initially about the war but his strong religious convictions allow him to safely serve and he ends up doing remarkable things. One thing I found most interesting about this diary was how his religious convictions mirror Sam’s in Co. Aytch. I think religion is one of those universal elements of war. People tend to turn to God when they are faced with death.
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