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In this lesson, students will read excerpts from an American soldier’s memoir in which he describes the combat, valor, and hardships faced while fighting on the Western Front. This soldier, John Lewis Barkley, was a U.S. Army Medal of Honor recipient of World War I for his valiant action in fighting to hold off two German attacks with a captured machine gun. After reading, students will consider what else a good historian should explore to gain a full picture of what it meant to be an American soldier.
