Academica Press Letters from a Yankee Doughboy: Private 1st Class Raymond W. Maker in World War I

Letters From a Yankee Doughboy is a collection of more than 125 letters written by Private 1st Class Raymond W. Maker, to his sister, Eva, a county nurse living in Framingham, Massachusetts, describing his everyday service in combat during World War 1. These letters, edited by Private Maker's grandson, Major Bruce H. Norton (USMC retired) are accompanied by 365 pocket-diary entries that Raymond religiously kept throughout the year 1918. Private Maker was assigned to Company C, 101st Field Signal Battalion, as a wireman, whose duty was to repair and replace the communications lines that were destroyed by artillery and mortar barrages during the horrific battles that took place between German infantry forces and the 26th "Yankee" Division of the American Expeditionary Force (AEF), in France, from October of 1917 until the end of the war. Assigned to the 104th Infantry Regiment, Private Maker saw the very worst of ground warfare. He fought at the Battle of Belleau Wood; was gassed by German artillery forces at the Battle of Château-Thierry and was wounded by artillery fire outside of Verdun, just one day before the Armistice was signed. The theme of his letters will vividly evoke memories in the tens of thousands of men and women who have served their country and their friends and loved ones. As a postscript, toward the end of the war, Raymond took the key to the North Gate of Verdun as a battlefield keepsake and mailed it home to his sister, instructing her to "keep that key, as someday it will be of value." On November 11, 2018 - the centenary of Armistice Day - the author returned that key to Thierry Hubscher, the Director of the Mémorial de Verdun, to be placed on display in that great Museum, closing a 100-year chapter in Raymond's life. About the Author Major Bruce H. "Doc" Norton, USMC (Ret.) is a combat veteran and a career Marine infantry and reconnaissance officer. He is an award-winning author of numerous books on and about the United States Marines. He served at various "posts and stations" throughout the Marine Corps to include duty as an infantry platoon leader, deep reconnaissance platoon leader, rifle company commander, operations and training officer, battalion executive officer, and at various joint staff positions. Home originally was North Scituate, Rhode Island. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1968 and became a Navy Corpsman, serving with distinction in both 3rd Force and 1st Force Reconnaissance Companies during the Vietnam War, where he participated in more than twenty-five long-range reconnaissance patrols from 1968-1970. Both "jump" and SCUBA qualified, he was the only Navy corpsman to be designated as a Force Recon team leader. The Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Meritorious Service Medal, Navy Commendation Medal, Navy Achievement Medal and Combat Action Ribbon are among his personal decorations. He retired from Active Duty in 1992. He is a graduate of the College of Charleston, where he earned a BA in US History, and later earned a master's degree in Naval Sciences before becoming the Director of the Marine Corps' Command Museum, at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot, in San Diego, California. He has taught military history courses at the University of San Diego, the Citadel, Trident Technical College, and at the Marine Corps University at Quantico, VA.