Figure 1.-- This is Andre Claudel. He was adopted by the Army Field Clerks, Section G-5, GHQ. Notice the AEF cap. The ARC photograph caption read, "The mother of Andre Claudel died a year ago. His father was killed in the Argonne and Andre is so quiet, so serious, that he seems much more than 10 years old. He is like a young old man in all he says and does. He is one of the best students at the refugee colony at Caen where he has lived ever since he was driven away from his home in Lorraine by the shells and poison gas of the Germans. His teacher says, 'il travaille dans al perfection' (his work is perfect). Sometime he will go back to Lorraine when the Boches have been driven out. He says: 'I like the American soldiers. They have come to protect my country. And I like especially my Godfathers.' They are the Army Field Clerks of Section ... General Staff.

With so many dispaced children in France. some were eventually attracted to the he huge numner of American Doughboys that began arriving in France after America declared war on Germany (April 1917). The destitute children and the Doughboys away from family and friends were attracted to each other. The Doughboys spent months in training in remote camps behind the front lines before actually going into combat, at least the first units to arrive in France. Soon American units began 'adopting' some of the children. As far as we know, there were no provision for such action in Army regulations. And the units were not equipped for properly caring for the children. The units could provide food and clothes, but schooling for example was another matter. The American Expeditionary Force developed an approach by working with the American Red Cross (ARC) which canme alng with the AEF. Homes were found for the children, but contact was continued. The ARC agreed to administer the funds donated by the troops. We are not sure how many refugees were adopted. Nor do we know what happened to the adoptees after the War. We do know that some of the children were actually adopted and brught back to America.

Created: 1:22 AM 11/8/2022
Last updated: 5:52 PM 11/9/2022