This is a non-comprehensive list of individuals who served in the AEF and went on to prominence in other fields of after the war. We've left out the generals, battlefield heroes, and most political types. Separate lists are being assembled for the Navy and volunteer groups. If you happen to have photos of any of these individuals please send them along. (email) We will be featuring them on the Doughboy Center website in the future.
Grover Cleveland Alexander
322nd Field Artillery
Baseball Hall of Fame
Hervey Allen
28th Division
Author: Toward the Flame; Anthony Adverse
Edwin Armstrong
Signal Corps
Father of FM Radio
Steven Bechtel
20th Engineering Battalion
Mega Construction Comp. Leader
Walter Brennan
101st Field Artillery; 26th Div.
Multiple Academy Award-Winning Actor
James M. Cain
HQ Company, 79th Div.
Author: The Taking of Montfaucon; Postman Always Rings Twice
Meriam Cooper
Air Service
Produced Movie King Kong
Dr. Harvey Cushing, Jr.
Medical Corps, 5th Base Hospital
Neurosurgeon, Biographer of Osler
Everett Dirksen
69th Balloon Observer Company
U.S. Senate Minority Leader
Conrad Hilton
304th Labor Btln, 79th Div.
Hotelier
Jay C. Hormel
Ice Plant Company 301
Company Produced Spam
Edwin Hubble
343rd Infantry, 86th Division
Astronomer
Buster Keaton
159th Infantry, 40th Div.
Entertainment Great
Fibber McGee
(James Jordan)
122nd Engineers
Radio Entertainer
Horace Pippin
369th Infantry Regiment
Artist: John Brown
Harold Ross
RR Engineers, Stars and Stripes Editor
Founder, New Yorker magazine
Edward Steichen
Photographic Section
U.S. Air Service
Photo Artist
Henry Stimson
31st and 305th Fld. Art.
Secretary of State & War
Gene Tunney
USMC, Svcs of Supply
Heavyweight Boxing Champion
DeWitt Wallace
139th Infantry, 35th Div.
Founder of Reader's Digest
Baseball Hall of Fame
28th Division
Author: Toward the Flame; Anthony Adverse
Edwin Armstrong
Signal Corps
Father of FM Radio
Steven Bechtel
20th Engineering Battalion
Mega Construction Comp. Leader
Walter Brennan
101st Field Artillery; 26th Div.
Multiple Academy Award-Winning Actor
James M. Cain
HQ Company, 79th Div.
Author: The Taking of Montfaucon; Postman Always Rings Twice
Meriam Cooper
Air Service
Produced Movie King Kong
Dr. Harvey Cushing, Jr.
Medical Corps, 5th Base Hospital
Neurosurgeon, Biographer of Osler
Everett Dirksen
69th Balloon Observer Company
U.S. Senate Minority Leader
Conrad Hilton
304th Labor Btln, 79th Div.
Hotelier
Jay C. Hormel
Ice Plant Company 301
Company Produced Spam
Edwin Hubble
343rd Infantry, 86th Division
Astronomer
Buster Keaton
159th Infantry, 40th Div.
Entertainment Great
Fibber McGee
(James Jordan)
122nd Engineers
Radio Entertainer
Horace Pippin
369th Infantry Regiment
Artist: John Brown
Harold Ross
RR Engineers, Stars and Stripes Editor
Founder, New Yorker magazine
Edward Steichen
Photographic Section
U.S. Air Service
Photo Artist
Henry Stimson
31st and 305th Fld. Art.
Secretary of State & War
Gene Tunney
USMC, Svcs of Supply
Heavyweight Boxing Champion
DeWitt Wallace
139th Infantry, 35th Div.
Founder of Reader's Digest
How about Harry Truman? David McCullough's biography has some interesting insights into Truman's service as I remember. It is noteworthy.
ReplyDeleteNote the absence of such figures as George Marshall and George Patton. These are "surprising" doughboys.
DeleteWhat an amazing collection, Mike! I am sure most people who recognize these names never associated them with WW1 service.
ReplyDeleteGreat post, I like this sort of information!
ReplyDeletePete
Henry Beston (volunteer poilu, ambulance driver, later US Navy Press representative), author of The Outermost House (literally a hippie-era poster boy, because a quote from The Outermost House was a widely-seen poster then). Alan Kaplan
ReplyDelete