Figure 1.--It was a huge logistical effort to get the AEF to France. After the Armistice the United States faced the same effort in reverse. Here demobilized Doughboys safely back home with their wives and babies born in their absence. Unlike World war II, World War I Doughboys were overseas for a relatively short period and many did not even go overseas. Thus many had babies awaiting them when they returned home. The stereoscope card read, "Happy reunion for home-coming soldier fathers." Source: Keystone View Company. No. 191253.

The United States when World war I broke out in Europe did not have asizable army. The prrofessional U.S. Army was a fraction of the size of a European Army. There was a militia which became the Narional Guard (1916). But it was poorly equipped and largly untrained. The Germans did not take the United States as a serious power, believing that the Americans could not rapidly create, arm, and train an army or transport it to France. That was why the Kaiser decided to resume unrestricted submarine warfare (February 1917). The Germany Navy assured him that the U-boats could sink troopships if the Americans tried to send an an army to France. This proved to be an illusion. After declaring War (April 1917). The United Sttes began an enormous effort to create the American Expeditionary Force (AEF) and tranport the men to France. Most of the AEF was shipped without much training or equipment and were traind and equipped in France. This effort continued until the armistice (November 1918). At that time the United States was still preparing to send another 1 million men to France and had just begun to shift American industry over to war production. The German Army began collapsing with only the appearance of 1 million American troops on the western Front. It is not difficult to see what another 1 million men with the Front broken would have meant in addition to the huge potential American industrial production. With the Armistice and the cesation of hostilities, the United States faced a huge logistical problem in reserse. The American Doughboys now had to be brought home. Not only did the men want to come home right away, but thee was enormous political pressure back home to do so. This would, however, take some time just as it had taken time to get them to France. And there were military concerns as well. American troops thus remained in Europe for some time as the demobilization process began. The allies were concerned with possible renewed German hostilities. The United States activated the Third Army which crossed the French border into Germany (December 1). They occupied the area around Koblenz, between Luxembourg and the Rhine River. The Third Army used eight divisions organized into three corps to conduct this very limited occupation of Germany. The Americans encountered no real difficulties or resistance on the part of the German popultion. The rest of the AEF was gradually moved to French ports and transport home. And even this limited force was rapidly drawn down after the Paris Peace Conference ended (May 1919). This time unlike World War II, there would be no extensive occupation of Germany. The United States had the troopships that had brough the men to France. In addition, foreign-flagged ships were used to transport the men home. There were also ships seized by the Germans used. The transports began in late-1918, but most took place in 1919. used only for troop returns. The men were met with jubilent crowds in New York and other port as well as parades in their home towns. Only about 15,000 American troops were left in Europe by the beginning of 1920.

Pre-War Army (1914-17)

The United States when World war I broke out in Europe did not have asizable army. The prrofessional U.S. Army was a fraction of the size of a European Army. There was a militia which became the Narional Guard (1916). But it was poorly equipped and largly untrained. The United sttes took no steps to enlarge or prepare the U.S. Armny for war. The Germans large vecause of the size of the U.S. Army, did not take the United States as a serious power, believing that the Americans could not rapidly create, arm, and train an army or transport it to France. Ither Germans believes that a country without a core ethnic identity was not not a real nation That was why the Kaiser decided to resume unrestricted submarine warfare (February 1917). The Germany Navy assured him that the U-boats could sink troopships if the Americans tried to send an an army to France. This proved to be an illusion.

AEF Background

After declaring War (April 1917). The United Sttes began an enormous effort to create the American Expeditionary Force (AEF). Reinforcements were despertely needed on the Western Front. The Allies were stunned to learn that the United Srates did not have an army in being to send to France. A major problem was tranporting the AEF to France. Unlike the British, French, and Grmans, the front was not a short rail trip from home. Most of the AEF was shipped without much training or equipment and were traind and equipped in France. The German U-boats totally failed to stop this massive troop movement as theyvalsobfailed in Wirld War II. The massive troop movement continued until the armistice (November 1918). At that time the United States was still preparing to send another 1 million men to France and had just begun to shift American industry over to war production. The German Army began collapsing with only the appearance of 1 million American troops on the western Front. It is not difficult to see what another 1 million men with the Front broken would have meant in addition to the huge potential American industrial production.

Armistice (November 1918)

The Götterdämmerung begun as the Allies began to crack open the vaunted Hindenburg Line. Allied offensives on the Western Front cracked the German front forcing them back toward Germany. The German Navy mutined. Riots broke out in Germany cities. A German Government was hastily formed and asked for an armistice based on President Wilson's 14 Points. After determining that the request came from a civilian German Government and not the Kaiser or German military, the Allies accepted the German offer. The gun fell silent after 4 years of vicious fighting at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month (November 11, 1918). There had been over 8.5 million soldiers killed and 21.2 million wounded. The General staff informed the Kaiser that they could no longer guarantee his saftey. He abdicated and fled to the neutral Netherlands (November 28).

Occupation Duty

And there were military concerns as well. American troops thus remained in Europe for some time as the demobilization process began. The allies were concerned with possible renewed German hostilities. The United States activated the Third Army which peacefully crossed the French border into Germany (December 1). They occupied the area around Koblenz, between Luxembourg and the Rhine River, commonly reffered to as the Rhineland. The Third Army used eight divisions organized into three corps to conduct a very limited occupation of Germany. Some 240,000 mn were at first involved. The Americans encountered no real difficulties or resistance on the part of the German popultion. And even the limited occupation orce was rapidly drawn down after the Paris Peace Conference ended (May 1919). This time unlike World War II, there would be no extensive occupation of Germany.

Transport in France

The initial tranport problem was to get the AEF from the front lines in northern France and Belgium and from training camps all over France to the French emarkation ports. For this the AEF Transportation Service (Rmbarkation Servive and Inland Trad=ffic Service) had a substantial transport capability used to get men and equipment to the front. At the time of the armistice, the Ameican transport assets included: saddle horses (45,000), draft animals (115,000), and pack animals (2,500). This was similar to other World War I armies. What made the AEF different was its motor vehickes. The AEF still depended on horse power, but it had more motorized transport than any other army. They had trucks (30,000), cars (7,800), and motor cycles (13,700). Most of their weapons except fror rifles came from the British and French, but the motor vehicles came from America. The Americans also had substantial rail assetts. Virtually everything moving any substantial distance moved by rail. The americans operated and maintained standard gage track (6,000 miles) and narrow gage track (1,400 miles). The narrow gage track was laid around or near the trenches at the front. The Americans had standard gage rolling stock (1,380 locomotives and 14,000 cars) in addition to narrow gage stock (450 licomotives and 3,300 cars. After the armiyice, the transportation Service became the Transportation Corps. It was designated an indepedent branch and commanded by Brig. Gen. Frank T. Hines. The Motor Transport Corps had been organized to standardize both procurement and maintebance of the army's motor vehicles, it became a part of the Quartermaster Corps. [King and Biggs]

Coming Home

With the Armistice and the cesation of hostilities, the United States faced a huge logistical problem in reserse. The American Doughboys now had to be brought home. Not only did the men want to come home right away, but there was enormous political pressure back home to do so. The public demanded, 'bring the boys home by Chritmas'. This was of course impossible. It would takke some time just as it had taken time to get them to France. Except for the divisions needed for occupation duty, once it became clear that the Germany were not going to renew the War, the rest of the AEF was gradually moved to French ports and transport home. Here lay the problem. The available 'lift' capacity was some 100,000 men a month. As it was no longer necessary to convoy, the reurn transport could be done a little more rpidly than the effort which delivered them to France. But it was going to take a year to get eveyone home. In addition to the avilable troop ships, the Navy began convering cargo ships to troop ships. Foreign passanger ships were also chartered. The Navy coverted 58 cargo ships and chartered 33 passager ships. As the U-boat menage no longer existed, normal speed cargo ships could be used. Passanger ships were faster than cargo ships. The ammassed flotilla of 174 vessels averaged 44 days per round trip. The Navy even set up troop carrying facilities in its 14 battleships and 10 cruisrs which provided berths for 26,800 men. The Navy also obtained 10 Germans ships that had been ideled in German ports. The flotilla had a single lift capabilitu of 419,000 men. The transports began (late-1918), but there were no important transports until the new year (January 1919). Most of the ships arrive in French ports almost empty, but were soon fully laden with the Dougboys coming home. By mid-1919 the transport effort home was in full opperation. The record was 368,000 men (June 1919). This exceeded the rcoord of the troop deliveries to France. Almost the entire AEF was home by the end of the year. Only about 15,000 American troops were left in Europe by the beginning of 1920. [King and Biggs]

Welcome

The doughboys were ethusiastically welcomed home as heroes. There were both dockside homecomings and the Main Street parades, The men were met with jubilent crowds in New York and other port as well as parades in their home towns. There were ticker-tape victory parades, marching bands, speeches, and the good will of a grateful nation. The biggest parades were the ticker-tape parade in New York City. New York of course was a majport point to disembarkation for the troop ships bringing the boys home. It was hardly, however, the only port. The returning soldiers were also disembarked at Boston, Newport News, and other ports. There were also massive home-town parades throughout the country. This was possible because much of the AEF was state-based National Guard divisions. Congress just before anerica entering the war reformed the state militias into the new National Guard (1916). And when activated the National Guard formed many of the AEF divisions. This mean that the men in hose diviions virtually all came drom the same state with men from the same communities. And the men, unlike world war II, were returned home by divisions. This meant that much of the returning AEF returned ti=o sttes nd communities all at one time, making possible massive state and local celebrations. A good example is the 30th Division. It was a unit of the Army National Guard in both World War I and World War II. The 30th was nicknamed the 'Old Hickory' division, in honor of President Andrew Jackson. A web page about the 30th drawn from a vet's journal reads, "Twenty-eight thousand troops, including much of the 30th, came home aboard the USS Finland throughout 1919. The postwar port of disembarkation for the 30th was Newport News, Virginia. Traveling by train, it was on to Knoxville, Nashville, Memphis and Chattanooga where great celebrations were staged to honor the veterans. The welcome parade in Knoxville drew 30,000 people. Other, smaller towns saluted the troops with similar enthusiasm. In Nashville, a miniature Arc de Triomphe was constructed near the Capitol and the reception was overwhelming. At the end of his journal, Frierson, in capital letters, wrote 'NO MORE WAR FOR ME', a sentiment shared by tens of millions throughout the world."

Demobilization Assistance

The Federal Government provided a range of resources the approximately 5 milion men who had volunteered or been drafted for military service during World War I. The resources included financial, medical and social assistance. About half of the men has served overseas as part of the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF). Finding jobs for the returning Doughboys was the most important priority. The government encouraged businesses to hire Vets. Injured men began coming home before the Armistice. The Vocational Education Bureau provided . physical and occupational rehabilitation. The American Legion also supported the Vets. The Legion was organized in Paris by AEF servicemen (1919). The Legion took up the mission of promoting veterans’ interests. The priorities were to securing rehabilitative benefits for disabled veterans and to lobby for an 'adjusted' compensation payment to make up for income lost while in the service. The Legion also pushed for jobs.

Bonus Bonds

The Federal Government believed that its war-risk insurance plan would adequately protect the American servicemen that served during the World warv. Officials did not antticipate that there would be demands for compensation for those who had not been injured during the War. Congress paseed a veterans's law even though President Coolidge had vetoed it. It enacted the system of adjusted compensation that the american Legion jad been promting. The compnsation was based on length of service. Thise serving overseas qualified for a higher payment. Veterans entitled to receive $50 or less were to be paid innidetly in cash. Those qulifying for more thn $50 received certificates maturing in 20 years.

Sources

King, Benjamin and Richard C. Biggs. Spearhead of Logistics: A History of the United States Army Transportation Corps.

Created: 7:06 AM 6/13/2014
Last updated: 1:35 AM 2/23/2017