Memories of Ira I. Boggs

Ira I. Boggs (1895-1983), a veteranof World War I, was a West Virginiamountaineer as rugged as the mountainsin which he lived most of his life. Hesurvived by practicing his strong Christianfaith, toughened by hard work whilegrowing up in a large family sustainedonly by the fat of the land and the sweatof the brow.His machine gun battalion was alternatelylabeled Pershing's Pets and the SightseeingBattalion because they followed behind themain front and traveled extensively whilein ready...
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Ira I. Boggs (1895-1983), a veteranof World War I, was a West Virginiamountaineer as rugged as the mountainsin which he lived most of his life. Hesurvived by practicing his strong Christianfaith, toughened by hard work whilegrowing up in a large family sustainedonly by the fat of the land and the sweatof the brow.His machine gun battalion was alternatelylabeled Pershing's Pets and the SightseeingBattalion because they followed behind themain front and traveled extensively whilein ready reserve for their final sacrifice. Aless envious title for a machine gun unitwas The Suicide Troops. (In battle, theyhad an average life expectancy of sevenminutes.) He was on his way to the activefront when the armistice was declared, buthe narrowly escaped some enemy bombswhen his unit lit up their campfires in apremature anticipation of the cease-fire.His extensive travels gave him a specialappreciation for the natural beauty of hishome state, and he had a rare talent fordescribing it.