Over There: A Marine in the Great War

The late Brannen left Texas A&M in January 1918 to join the U.S. Marines; fight in France at Belleau Wood, St. Mihiel and Soissons; and participate in the occupation of Germany. His battlefield snapshots combine with outstanding annotations by Hillman and Owen to enhance this first-rate front-line memoir, recording his memories of training and combat in the 1930s. Unlike many retrospective works on war, this one does not embellish its author's memories. Brannen matter-of-factly recounts his participation in the front lines of a war that substituted flesh for steel. The marines moved by marching and fought with rifles, grenades and light machine guns. Tactical skill and sheer courage were used where, in later eras, there would be elaborate combined-arms fire-support programs. Brannen's regiment, the 6th Marines, was out and completely replaced almost twice between June and November 1918--a useful reminder of war's ultimate price. The author died in 1978. Annotators Hillman and Owen are military historians; J.P. Brannen, the author's son, is a retired research scientist. Photos. (Apr.)