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Assassination (WWI)
Archduke Francis Ferdinand was assassinated. -
The First Battle (WWI)
Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, which was the beginning of WWI. Austria did this due to the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand. -
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World War I
World War I was a great war that lasted four years. This war affected many individuals and countries. Extreme damage was caused and hundreds of thousands of casualties occurred during this period of misery. WWI consisted of two main sides the Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, and the Ottoman Empire) and the Allied Powers (France, Great Britain, Russia, Italy, Japan, and eventually the United States). -
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Invasion (WWI)
Many different countries begin invading each other, requiring others to get involved. For example, Germany invaded Luxembourg and Belgium, France invaded Alsace, British forces arrived in France, etc. -
Italy Invades (WWI)
Italy declares war on Austria-Hungary. -
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Battle of Verdun (WWI)
Germany begins an attack on Verdun. This battle is a long-lasting event that played a big part. On December 18, 1916, the struggle ended resulting in 550,000 French deaths and 450,000 German deaths. -
US Pinned Against Germany (WWI)
The United States of America declared war on Germany after Germany made several attacks on submarines and other property. -
Recruitment
John Joseph and his friend Harry Willard decided to join the Army. They thought about this decision for a long time and eventually gave in. -
Placement Test
At 9:00 a.m. John and Harry went to the Armory in Troop B on New Scotland Avenue because they were recruiting new 102nd. Engineers. John passed the examination but he was very skinny and needed to gain weight. He quickly gained 7 pounds and became 135 lb. -
The Beginning of John Joseph's Battle
John Joseph Brennan's life changed when he switched from a Blue Serge Suit to a Military Uniform. John was part of a group of young men between 20 and 24. His living conditions changed as he was accompanied by more people and had to deal with more bosses, but for John, this was not a very hard change. He began in Albany with an awful amount of marching. -
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Drills
Between these dates, they only drill and take long walks around Albany. They work from early morning until night. John and the rest of the soldiers get their uniforms, and most like them, but some don't. They all take care of getting the uniforms resized for them. -
Flashbacks
John Joseph is starting to miss his family more and more. He has flashbacks of the day he left like it was yesterday. It was hard for him to say goodbye to his sister Mary. John’s mother was down at their uncles' because she was ill. Once he said his goodbyes, he headed for the troop camp, where they left at 9:30 p.m. -
27th. Division Parade
John Joseph claimed that today was “the big day” in which they were ready for the big 27th. division parade. It was going to be the largest parade in New York with over 31,000 men marching. They began the march at 10:00 a.m. and finished at 6:30 p.m. John claimed that it was an amazing experience and that we most likely would never experience something like it again. The townspeople treated them great and showered them with money and fruits. -
Travel
John Joseph traveled through four states (Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and South Carolina) and experienced climate change. John claimed that the soldiers got away with a lot. John said that the men took a lot of things without paying and claimed that it was borrowed. For example, they took a pig and a goat. They stayed on a train while they were traveling to their next location. -
Change
John Joseph finally started experiencing a big change once he arrived in Camp Sadsworth, Spartanburg, and South Carolina. These camps turned boys into disciplined soldiers. John claimed that up until then he didn’t entirely take his officers seriously but, the more he experienced the more he learned. They did lots of manual labor while in these camps and didn’t get great treatment. -
Nearing The Battlefield
John Joseph Brennan spent a long time throughout these camps. These men were nearing the time of becoming official fighting men.