An ordinary soldier’s day-by-day account of the Great War Vernon E. Kniptash, an Indiana national guardsman who served in the Rainbow Division during World War I, observed firsthand some of the Great War’s fiercest fighting. As a radio operator with the Headquarters Company of the 150th Field Artillery, he was in constant contact with French and British forces as well as with American troops, and thus gained a broad perspective on the hostilities. Editor E. Bruce Geelhoed introduces and annotates Kniptash’s war diaries, published here for the first time. With clarity and compelling detail, Kniptash describes the experiences of an ordinary soldier thrust into the most violent conflict the world had seen. He tells of his enthusiasm upon enlistment and of the horrors of combat that followed, as well as the drudgery of daily routine. He renders unforgettable profiles of his fellow soldiers and commanders, and manages despite the strains of warfare to leaven his writing with humor. Readers will share Kniptash’s ordeals as he participates in the furious effort to stem a major German offensive, followed by six months of violent combat and the massive Allied counteroffensive that ended the war. Because Kniptash was called to remain with the Army of Occupation in Germany after his unit was shipped home, his diaries cover the full extent of American participation in the war.

The Rainbow Division (42nd Infantry Division) was the premier National Guard division to fight on the Western Front in the Great War. Made up of units from 26 states and the District of Columbia, the Rainbow was a unique attempt to combine units from every section of the nation and to get them to France as quickly as possible. The Rainbow arrived in France in December 1917, and served in every major battle the AEF (American Expeditionary Force) participated in. After the end of the war in November 1918, the Rainbow was selected to serve in the Army of Occupation, remaining in Germany until the spring of 1919. The division counted in its leadership Douglas MacArthur, William J. Wild Bill Donovan (later known for his service as the head of the OSS in World War II and for founding the CIA), soldier-poet Joyce Kilmer, Father Francis P. Duffy, plus future secretaries of the Army and the Air Force and two who would become Army Chiefs of Staff. George S. Patton's tanks supported The Rainbow Division during the St. Mihiel operations, the first time the legendary Patton planned for the use of tanks on the battlefield.

Father Francis Duffy, U. S. Army chaplain during World War One, recalls his time fighting alongside the famous 69th Infantry Regiment on the western front. Comprised mostly of Irish Catholic volunteers who enlisted in and around New York City, the 'Fighting Sixty-Ninth' already had a long history and a reputation for bravery and grit. Father Duffy is frank and upfront, recalling the conversations and mood of his fellow troops during their training and deployment to Europe. The bloodiness and terror of battles in World War I is related, as are the many injuries and horrors of that war. Despite the grim situation, Father Duffy never loses his spirit. Indeed, the adversity faced by the young men in the 69th gave opportunity for them to show their courage and great capacity for morale. The witty humor and can-do attitude of the Irish is also amply displayed, this liveliness countering the darker aspects of war. Each of the major battles and offensives undertaken by the 69th is told from a first-hand perspective, with participating troops named and credited for their valor. This reprint of Duffy's memoirs includes the twelve photographs and map illustrations appended to the first edition. Depicting the battles, troops and their commanding officers, these pictures constitute a helpful supplement to the text.