“Witnessed a 4 hour program of French bomb, machine gun training; also actual grenades; gas grenades, trench cannon; and maneuvers, and organization. 6 miles behind trenches.”

Entry of July 20th, 1917, from the diary of
Cpt. Francis M. Van Natter, 28th Inf., Co. G

Diary Courtesy of the
Col. Robert R. McCormick Research Center

Above: Soldiers in the French Lafayette training trenches near Treveray, a 1st Division training area, October 1917. Signal Corps Photograph Signal Corps Photograph Courtesy of the Colonel Robert R. McCormick Research Center