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By Root 2571 0

before was mostly gone now, and across the ragged ground, the Second Division was to continue its push against the western face of the Soissons salient. Ultimately, the fight cost the division another four thousand casualties, but in their path, the German units showed that they were as decayed and spent as so many of the French units they had faced along this same line. Across the western flank of the Soissons salient, the combined forces of two American and one Moroccan division continued to drive the Germans back, and farther south, a combination of French and American forces completely reversed the German momentum south of Soissons. Barely six weeks before, the Germans had swept over this same ground as an unstoppable wave, charged with the confidence that would carry them into Paris. By the end of July, their gains around Soissons were erased, the German front-line troops devastated by the relentless strength of the newly energized forces that drove them back. As German prisoners poured into the hands of their Allied captors, they began to speak in a way the French had never heard before. They spoke of hunger and deprivation, began to reveal an army that had begun to collapse, and most of all, they spoke of their new enemy, the men in khaki, this new army that continued to change the war.

CHAUMONT—JULY 28, 1918

“SIR, COLONEL MITCHELL IS HERE.”

Pershing glanced at his watch, smiled, thought, He’s early. Only man in the army who’s more in a hurry than I am.

Mitchell was through the door now, stopped, saluted, said, “Morning, General.”

Pershing expected some usual splash of dark humor, but Mitchell’s greeting came out softly, a subdued stare from the man’s tired eyes.

“Colonel, take a seat. I have some news you should appreciate.”

Mitchell seemed uncertain, slid into a chair, said, “If you say so, sir. I thought you had sent for me because of what happened.”

Mitchell’s expression had not changed, and Pershing said, “What has happened? What are you talking about?”

Mitchell looked down for a moment, said, “So, you don’t know.” He looked up now. “Sir, it is my regrettable duty to inform you that on Fourteen July, Lieutenant Quentin Roosevelt, of the Ninety-fifth Aero Squadron, was shot down near Château-Thierry. He is dead, sir.”

Pershing understood Mitchell’s mood now, said, “I had not been informed.” He let out a long breath. “Damn. Do you know if the news has been cabled to Washington?”

“I don’t believe so, sir. It was decided that you might wish to offer the first word of condolence. I am aware, sir, how close you are to President Roosevelt.”

“Thank you, Colonel. You handled this correctly. Teddy Roosevelt does not deserve to learn of his son’s death through standard channels.”

“I thought you should know, sir, that Lieutenant Roosevelt had earned his place. Since the death of Major Lufbery, only a few pilots have made a significant mark against the enemy. Lieutenant Roosevelt was among them.”

“I will communicate that to his father. This will certainly be front-page news back home.”

Mitchell said nothing, seemed to weigh his words.

“Something else, Colonel?”

“Since you brought up the newspapers, I suppose I should bring to your attention . . . forgive me, sir, but I am getting pretty tired of some of the garbage that is being fed to the American people.”

Pershing felt his shoulders sagging. “What now?”

“George Creel, for one. Seems Mr. Creel has been overly enthusiastic in his speeches again. The Committee for Public Information has announced to one and all that several thousand American-built aircraft are currently on their way to the Western Front. The one article I saw even included photographs, taken God knows where, of a bunch of planes supposedly lined up on some airfield in New Jersey.”

“Mr. Creel has accomplished a great deal, Colonel, in focusing civilian awareness on the sacrifices required to help the war effort. He is an expert at motivation, and I cannot fault the work the CPI has done. If he is somewhat rambunctious in his claims, it is only because he errs on the side of patriotism.