The A. E. F.: With General Pershing and the American Forces

Aboard a crowded transport steaming across the Atlantic, the narrator finds himself amid a lively mix of ambulance drivers, Red Cross nurses, and a few wealthy passengers, all bound for the front. When a German U‑boat surfaces, the ship’s crew and passengers turn the deck into a makeshift battlefield, firing at the periscope while the crowd erupts in a chorus of cheers and nervous jokes. The scene captures the raw tension of wartime travel, the uneasy camaraderie of strangers thrust together, and the surprising humor that surfaces even as danger looms.

Through vivid, almost cinematic detail, the narrative paints the ocean as a vast, lonely stage where ordinary men confront extraordinary peril. The author balances the immediacy of the gunfire with the personal reflections of those aboard, from the stoic captain sipping cognac to a passenger savoring candy as he watches the fight unfold. It’s a snapshot of the early days of the American Expeditionary Forces, offering listeners a glimpse into the human side of a historic conflict.