WWI Soldier Experience

Examine a letter to Capt. Joseph McNamara from the International and Great Northern Railway explaining the events of his troops assaulting two black train porters. 

Considering the time period after the Civil War and before Civil Rights movement.  What were the social norms of the day regarding such behavior?  

Reply to this post and answer the following:

• How would the American society have perceived the incident in 1918?  Compare the social perceptions in 1864 and today.   

• What actions you would have taken if you were in McNamara’s situation in 1918?

Being away from home can be exciting adventure, or a tormenting experience.  Soldiers travel to far to defend their homeland, and some do not return.  While they are committed to their duty abroad, there is always a longing to return and the fear that they may not.

Read the letter from Joe to his mother and consider how he expresses his longing for home with memories, poetry, and metaphor.

REFLECTION: What would you miss about “home,” if you were away for an extended period of time?  How would being in the midst of a conflict impact your longing for home?  How would you envision your own homecoming in 1918?