National Archives 55196844   "America's "First Shot" in the War This map purports to illustrate America's first artillery salvo of the war, fired on October 23, 1917, by guns in the American 1st Division. Sergeant Alexander Arch barked the order "fire" to the crew manning the 75mm field gun. The rapid-firing artillery piece was provided by the French to American troops, who lacked a sufficient supply of weapons and ordnance. Artillery was the most devastating weapon of the land war, responsible for inflicting some 60 percent of all causalities. Detailed maps and wired communications lines were among the innovations that made World War I artillery fire more accurate and deadly than in earlier conflicts. Therefore, trenches, so strongly associated with the war, were essential to protect troops from barrages that could turn fields into virtual wastelands." Link to map - https://www.loc.gov/exhibitions/world-war-i-american-experiences/about-this-exhibition/over-there/industrialized-warfare/americas-first-shot-in-the-war/

Agreed!   -Ski

Nice score!

That is an awfully nice group there!  Thanks for sharing!   -Ski

This is a group that I have owned for a couple years and one of my most prized groups. I have decided I will write a general introduction but I will also write a very detailed chronology with photos, documents and artifacts since I have so much information to tell this veteran's story.   Emer Drake Yeager was born on August 11th, 1886 in Prairie Creek, Vigo County, Indiana. He attended Terre Haute High School but left his junior year to enlist in the Indiana National Guard. He rose through the ranks from private to 1st sergeant by 1908. He discharged from the National Guard and enlisted in the US Army. Initially enlisting as a Private Artificer on April 3rd, 1908 and served with Company B of the 11th Infantry Regiment. After four years with the 11th Infantry he had attained the rank of first sergeant and discharged on February 24, 1914. A couple months later he accepted a provisional commission with the Philippine Scouts on February 10th, 1914. Eventually he secured himself a permanent commission in the Field Artillery. Prior to United States involvement in WW1 he had commanded batteries and battalions. Yeager was also promoted to Captain. During WW1 he served in many different duties under the 5th Field Artillery Brigade in France. He participated in the Battle of Saint-Mihiel in September of 1918. Post-war he was involved in the US Army Occupation of Germany. He was a student at the FA School at Fort Sill, an Instructor at the Infantry School at Fort Benning and a student of Command and General Staff School. For a number of years he was involved in Organized Reserve Duty in New York where he was G-2 (Intelligence) of Headquarters, 2nd Corps Area, in New York aside from intelligence he was also in charge of press and public relations. From 1929 to 1933, he served as the United States Military Attache to Poland, Romania, and Czechoslovakia. During this assignment, General Douglas MacArthur visited Poland for diplomatic and military consultations where MacArthur asked Yeager to be his aid for the remainder of his visit. The two maintained correspondence for many years. After his attache post he commanded a FA battalion and trained ROTC, Citizens' Military Training Camp units during summer training seasons. During WW2 Yeager served for two years as District Commander of the Binghamton, New York, District of the Civilian Conservation Corps. He was subsequently appointed Chief of Staff for CCC Headquarters, Second Corps Area on Governors island, New York where he served for four years. Yeager was stationed overseas in the Pacific theatre as a base commander in Australia and New Guinea in 1945. Yeager was promoted Brigadier General during the war and retired on September 30th, 1945.   

Good job. Thanks

Looks like a nice, privately engraved example. The jeweler tried to match official engraving as close as possible. 

. Well sacrifices have to be made for expediency    We ran out of time to complete a wooden windscreen for the Jeep for todays events, so I loaned a crash damaged windshield surround to the Jeep project,  sadly as one side arm had been crash damaged we couldn't get it to sit in exactly the correct position, it sits about four inches too far forward.    Once this anniversary month has passed we will rectify the windscreen and fit correctly, however from a frontal view it's less obvious to Joe Public, but we know it's wrong.     The ladies added a mirror, rear quarter reflectors, a wing blackout lamp and corrected the front grille appearance, the lady who knitted the grille took the design from an up-scaled 1/35 plastic model, overall she has done marvels.   Today we had on parade around a hundred soldiers from three National armies, more in a following post           Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, 06 June  2O26.   ..  

That is the first Italian made silver oak leaf I have seen. Great bar, Sir.

http://Check out this video, "alamo witness stories"