CRUCIBLE OF LEADERSHIP
When US forces landed in Europe in 1917 it was to prove a turning point in American foreign and domestic policy. America was engaging with the world beyond its borders in a way it had not done before. President Woodrow Wilson had actually made it a pillar of his presidency that the US would remain neutral during the Great War. But all of that changed when Germany began attacking American ships in the Atlantic.
And while the events on the ground (and at sea) were important, just as influential in the long term were the leaders who emerged from this conflict. Historic names like President Harry Truman, generals of the army George Marshall and Douglas MacArthur, and commander of the Third Army George S Patton all came up through the ranks under the leadership of General John J Pershing, commander in chief of the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF).
We spoke with Major General (ret) David T Zabecki and Colonel (ret) Douglas V Mastriano, editors of which profiles many of the men who were integral to the US war effort in WWI and
