WWI US Army AFS American Field Service Story & History Book

Description

In July 1916 the American Ambulance Field Service (which would later be known as the “American Field Service,” or “AFS”) established an independent headquarters in the heart of Paris at 21 rue Raynouard. The property was made available by the Comtesse de la Villestreux of the Hottinguer family, who allowed their estate and private park to be used by the organization for the remainder of the war. The headquarters consisted of an estate and five-acre private park with a view of the Eiffel Tower. It had formal gardens and a grove of chestnuts, and included offices, mess quarters, an infirmary, temporary barracks, and grounds for the ambulances.
Once the Americans entered the war, many drivers joined combat units, both French and American, serving as officers in a variety of assignments, notably in air force and artillery units. At the same time, a large percentage of volunteers signed up for the military, thenceforth members of USAAS units, but remaining identified with their AFS past—a past kept alive through the work of HQ, still at 21 rue Raynouard, where a Bulletin
was published and where visiting ambulance drivers could find temporary lodgings and meals.
This is comprised of many personal stories and experiences of the brave and gallant drivers during World War I.
This is a reprint of the original in an 8 ½ x 11 staple bound format with 407 Pages.