My Shovel Was My Rifle

The diary of Elmer Thornton of the 51st Pioneer Infantry Regiment, Company I

By: D Walkaboutdude Moss

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

The Thornton Families were in the Americas before the founding of The United States of America, and throughout history, their sons served honorably in defense of this country.

Later, the Thornton families answered the call when the United States joined Europe's war in April 1917. In the spirit of the Founding Fathers, Elmer Ray Thornton enlisted in The New York State National Guard, the 10th New York, which later became The 51st Pioneer Infantry Regiment.

Elmer kept a diary of his experiences from when he left home on May 28, 1918, until he returned home on July 15, 1919.

As a young man from Binghamton, New York, he experienced a completely different world. He saw the horrors of war, devastated towns, starving populations, the wounded returning from the front lines, and felt the loneliness of being away from his loved ones. Through his writing, we glimpse a world regulated to the annuls of history, but memories he carried for the rest of his life. Now, after a century of silence, his story lives again.

Elmer's account is the only surviving diary from Company I of the 51st Pioneer Infantry Regiment, adding his testimony to the Regiment's accomplishments.