Temporary record

When the United States entered the First World War in 1917, Thomas E. Snook, a resident of New York City, had already been in the Army for over a year. He received a commission as Captain in the 306th Regiment of Engineers, and, after receiving additional training in South Carolina, joined the American Expeditionary Forces in France in 1918. Snook's regiment was assigned to the Advanced School Detachment of the 2nd Corps Schools, and it appears that he was not involved in any actual combat. He remained stationed in France after the end of the war, returning home at the end of 1919.

Scope and contents:

Each of the 53 letters in the Snook Papers was written by Snook to his parents is a fine, observant writer who favored long letters, and painted a clear picture of life in the service during the First World War. The letters written while Snook was undergoing military training near Plattsburgh, N.Y., and in South Carolina are filled with details of training camp, learning to fire machine guns and hard marches. The aproximately 15 letters written from France during the war include observations on the course of the war, the impact of the arrival of American troops, and not very detailed information (due to the impositions of censors) on his duties. In the year after the end of the war, however, there are a number of good letters describing the return to normalcy in Europe and the role of American forces as peace keepers.

M-2737.3

Subjects

France--History--World War, 1914-1918
United States. Army--Engineer Regiment, 306th
World War, 1914-1918

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