Doughboys, the Great War, and the remaking of America

Doughboys, the Great War, and the Remaking of America could very well become required reading for all new enlistees. Jennifer D. Keene, an assistant professor of history at the University of Redlands in California, assumes a multidisciplinary approach to World War One. Focusing less on military strategy and more on the social aspects of military recruitment, Keene addresses concepts often omitted from war-related research. Dubbed doughboys, soldiers who fought for the United States during World War One forever redefined the role of the veteran and his (or her) relationship with the United States military.

The title of Doughboys, the Great War, and the Remaking of America signals the ambitious scope of Keene's work. The author argues that doughboys engaged in nothing less than a labor rights struggle, and one that reflected broader social trends. Keene addresses race as an integral part of labor relations, and also shows how the doughboys paved the way for significant legislation that protected the rights of soldiers such as the G.I. Bill. Therefore, Doughboys expands its role as a book about the history of World War One into a sociological treatise. Where other historians leave off at the impact World War One had on the future of America as a superpower, Keene picks up. The author reveals the military as an institution no different from any other organization in which labor rights become key political and social issues.

As a historian, author Keene deftly weaves seemingly disparate trends into her research. To prove her central thesis, Keene draws from concrete evidence provided by primary source data culled from military records, maps, and first-hand accounts. However, Keene's work is unique among histories of the First World War because of its exclusive focus on the doughboy: the struggle for recognition and rights amid the army's rigid hierarchy.

One of the goals of Keene's work is stated explicitly in the preface: to tell the story of the Doughboys who "remade the economic and social landscape of America," (x). While the assertion may seem outlandish, Keene does prove the case using primary source data. Moreover, the author underscores the importance of the research as helping to prevent the repetition of past mistakes. What Keene suggests is that soldiers today should learn from the courage and solidarity created in the army during World War One. The soldiers fighting for the flag in France had no official labor organizer. Although a few key figures strengthened the doughboy resolve to change military culture, no one leader emerges as a cult figure. Instead, the soldiers that dedicated their lives to their country performed a sacrifice above and beyond their call of duty upon enlisting. The doughboys endeavored to make the United States Army more American. As veterans continue to fight for adequate benefits and social services, Doughboys should become a must-read for all military officials.