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| AERO SQUAD, U. S. AVIATION SERVICE U. S. MOTORCYCLE CORPS, SHOWING ARMOURED MOTORCYCLE WITH MACHINE GUN |
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| U. S. ARMY MOTOR TRUCKS U. S. FIELD ARTILLERY READY FOR ACTION |
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| Y. M. C. A. AUDITORIUM INTERIOR OF Y. M. C. A. |
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| MESS HALL BATTALION DRILL |
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| MACHINE GUNS READY FOR ACTION THREE INCH GUN IN ACTION |
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| LOADING A FOUR POINT SEVEN SIEGE GUN REPAIRING U. S. ARMY FIELD GUN
The twelve views above of the U. S. Army are from a folder postcard that is missing its cover. The folder was probably published by Curt Teich. ( I saw some identical views on individual postcards published by Curt Teich online, but could not find an example of the complete folder.)
If the Army views views can be considered "before" images of the horrors of war, the cartoon postcard below can be considered an "after" image. It has a cartoon by Clare Briggs, an early American comic strip artist. One of his popular comic strips was “Ain't It a Grand and Glorious Feelin'?”. The postcard was provided by the Knights of Columbus Committee on War Activities. It was written by a returning soldier, Pvt. Ed A Warner, to his mother in Minneapolis on May 28, 1919. He wrote "In America at last and feeling fine. Will be home toot sweet."
 
The postcard was sent via "Soldiers Mail" and postmarked in Newport News, Virginia on June 5, 1919. According to the information on the card, Pvt. Warner had arrived on the U. S. S. Aeolus and was going to Camp Dodge. He was a member of Co. G, Reg. 350th, Div. 88.
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A great collection of postcards on the subject - the last one especially.
ReplyDeleteAgree - love the last postcard! And the one of the guys lined up at the table ready for their dinner!
ReplyDeleteThe postcards definitely represent the 'before' and sanitised images of the war. You can almost feel the relief of Pte Warner on reaching home.
ReplyDeleteWhew! Another soldier who made it home!
ReplyDeleteThe armoured motorcycle looks as though it would be better being a gunner in the sidecar than a driver, how scary. A fascinating view of the army on home soil and on beautiful colourised cards.
ReplyDeleteA wonderful collection of photographs. I liked Bob's description of them being a "sanitized" view of training for war - how true away from the reality of the mud and blood. I did wonder how many of those men were killed and how many returned home sick both mentally and physically.
ReplyDeleteI wondered the same thing. Really liked the last card of the real person who we know made it home.
DeleteA very nice historical array of cards. The last, "Oh Boy" made me laugh, the caricature appears almost oriental.
ReplyDeleteHow strange Europe and the trenches must have seemed to those American boys. Not only the horrors but the addition of being so far from home in an alien place.
ReplyDeleteA fine set of pictures but that last postcard really makes it so personal.
ReplyDeleteThe glamorized before photos are most interesting but so far removed from the realities of war. A wonderful collection.
ReplyDeletehome 'toot sweet'- love it!
ReplyDelete"toot sweet"-- ha ha! But on a more serious note, pictures of WWI aircraft always make me shudder. They look no more safe than a soapbox, but I know they got the job done.
ReplyDeleteA super collection and a priceless message on the last. I've been reading about the first draft of 1917 and the draftees were sent off to various army camps across the nation. The set of cards was probably on sale at many of those camp stores as a way of reassuring the folks back home that army life was not so bad.
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