Of the war deaths, only 117,000 were American soldiers, which sounds like a minor contribution, but they were all concentrated in the war's final months and represented casualty rates for American units much higher than other countries' rates for comparable periods of time.
Americans delivered the decisive blow at war's end which finally broke German lines and delivered victory to the Allies.
"Victory" at least in Allied eyes but not necessarily defeat in German eyes.
Germans asked for an armistice -- they wanted to freeze the lines in place -- but the Allies delivered the 1919 Versailles Treaty which took more from Germany than Germans believed their wartime results merited.
After all, no Allied troops had crossed into German territory, so Germans wanted Pres. Wilson's promised "Peace Without Victory".
Many Allied leaders, including US Commanding General John Pershing, believed the Allies should not have accepted the 11/11/1918 Armistice, but should rather have pushed on to Berlin, to convince Germans that they had been defeated and so deserved the harsh peace terms.
Pershing & others believed that if Germany were not properly defeated in 1918, then in 20 years, Germans would rise up again for Round Two.
French Marshal Ferdinand Foch famously warned in 1919 that the Versailles Treaty was merely “an armistice for twenty years”.
Foch was wrong about 20 years.
It was actually 20 years, two months and 4 days until September 1, 1939.
He was a charter member of the American Legion in Wonewoc, Wisconsin. She was a charter member of the Auxiliary. She used to make Tray favors for the wounded vets at the VA Hospital nearby. Grandpa always played taps at the cemetery on Armistice Day. My Uncle Bob, his youngest son still plays it on this day and sends us a video of it. I was blessed to have veterans in my family who raised me, taught me and encouraged me to accept the honor of serving in their footsteps. To all my fellow Vets, thank you for your service and for “taking up the torch”!
My father fought in WWI. Argonne Forest. He was wounded by German machine gun fire in his left leg Sept 18, 1918. He was taken to field hospitals in Belgium, then France. He was in a coma for almost a year, thought he was dead, when a nurse noticed small breath indications on a mirror. He was revived, ultimately sent to army hospital in Carlisle, PA.
He walked with a limp all his life.
He was also deaf, loss of over 90% of his hearing in both ears.
There was no GI Plan then, he was awarded a Purple Heart in the 1930’s and
received a BONUS of $60!!!
My Dad answered the call, fought for his country. He was a good man. I miss him.