So numerous were the khaki-clad immigrants who filled the ranks of the U.S. Army during the First World War that our British allies would often refer to the A.E.F. as the “American Foreign Legion”; yet as grateful as the services were to have so many additional strong backs to deploy during a time of national emergency, it was not without a cost.
The attached article was all about how the army addressed this issue regarding the high number of illiterate immigrants who filled their divisions spanning the years 1917 through 1920.
Judging by the manner in which the 1917 U.S. Army uniform is worn by the Asian fellow who wears it in the image posted above, it can quickly be surmised that it is a fake (the fourragere is clearly worn upside down and his overseas cap sports the insignia of both an officer and an enlisted man).
Read about the radio program that was produced by the WPA writers and actors branch in order to celebrate American diversity; click here.
For further reading about the American immigrants who fought in the U.S. Military during the First World War, we recommend this book from Amazon:
Americans All!: Foreign-Born Soldiers in World War I
