Suddenly Soldiers

The 166th Infantry Regiment in World War I

By: Robert Thompson

Narrated by: Jonathan Salkoff

When America entered World War I in April 1917, state National Guard units had never planned to mobilize for this kind of war, and the men who made up the hometown companies of each regiment never imagined that they would be asked to fight in what was then the most savage war in human history - they were “innocents” being thrown into a horrendous European conflagration. Made up of companies from 10 Ohio towns, the 166th Infantry Regiment became part of the famous 42nd Division, known as the “Rainbow Division”. They were the third American division to arrive in France, where they fought courageously in the trenches at Lunéville and Baccarat before being a key part of the American effort in the Second Battle of the Marne and the Saint Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne offensives. Despite their initial lack of training in modern warfare and weapons, the 166th Infantry compiled an impressive combat record. However, that record came at a terrible cost, with the regiment suffering over 2,000 casualties in just nine months of fighting. While they battled the Germans, these hometown Guardsmen lived in trenches and foxholes for weeks at a time, while subsisting on canned beef and coffee amid near constant rain, deep mud, rats, and body lice that made their lives miserable. Because of poor planning and leadership from higher headquarters, they were often asked to achieve impossible objectives amid withering enemy machine-gun fire without proper logistics or artillery support. Yet, despite these challenges, they would persevere, overcome, and emerge victorious.

Suddenly Soldiers: The 166th Infantry Regiment in World War I by Robert Thompson tells the compelling story of the young men - “citizen soldiers” - who have always borne the cost of America’s freedom with quiet courage.

The book is published by Westholme Publishing. The audiobook is published by Westholme Publishing. The audiobook is published by University Press Audiobooks.

©2020 Robert Thompson (P)2022 Redwood Audiobooks

My family service in WW1

An excellent read that describes what our troops went thru in WW1. My uncle Pearly Bertrand of Syracuse, NY (deceased) was a decorated veteran ,who returned to have a long and successful life after surviving machine gun wounds. My uncle Frank Johnson returned and spent 7 yrs hospitalized from "Shell Shock" and my dad, Edward L. Quigley of E. Boston,MA. spent the war as a Naval Aviator , but served stateside.

Better unit history than most.

A lot of unit histories are sterile “this unit went here this unit went there” affairs. This one is better than most because it has a pretty decent narrative. It also depicts the engagements rather than tells us it happened followed by casualty figures. Worth a listen if you enjoy WW1 stuff or are interested in Ohio’s contributions to the war efforts.

a must for anyone into WW1 or ohio history!

An excellent book to listen to if you are interested in the 1st World War or Ohio military history This most recent publication regarding the 166th infantry regiment Covers the service history of the 166th And includes a few new sources Not seen in prior publications detailing the history of the 166th