The 151st Field Artillery Brigade

A vivid snapshot of a World War I artillery unit, this account follows the 151st Field Artillery Brigade from its birth in the draft‑filled streets of New England to its first months of training at Camp Devens. The narrator paints the diverse group of recruits—farmers, factory workers, teachers—who arrived clueless about military life but bound together by a common purpose, and it captures the awkward, often humorous adjustment to drills, uniforms and the relentless march of daily routine.

Interwoven with the personal gratitude owed to the brigade’s early leaders, the narrative offers a clear sense of how new officers learned their trade and how the men forged a shared identity amid endless lines, hot soup spills and the novel language of the army. Readers gain a compelling glimpse of the camaraderie, the challenges of rapid mobilization, and the quiet pride that grew as these ordinary Yankees took their first steps toward becoming a cohesive fighting force.