First Paragraph

The crisis came toward the end of October 1918, in a forested area most Americans had never heard of, the Meuse-Argonne. For almost a month, over a million American soldiers pounded their way forward against forty German divisions, defending positions so impenetrable that American soldiers wondered if the devil himself had designed them. Already, 100,000 Americans had fallen and General "Black Jack" Pershing's assault divisions were on their last legs. The German line showed no sign of cracking, and there was widespread speculation that the American army might be the first to break.

- From Pershing by Jim Lacey