Mitchell A. Yockelson | |
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Born | 1962 (age 61–62) |
Occupation | Military historian, archivist, writer, and professor |
Education | History, Military History |
Alma mater | Frostburg State University (BS); George Mason University (MA); Royal Military College of Science, Cranfield University (Ph.D.) |
Subject | World War I |
Mitchell "Mitch" A. Yockelson (born 1962) [1] is a military historian and archivist. He has written four books including, Borrowed Soldiers: Americans Under British Command 1918, and numerous articles for well-known publications. Yockelson is considered one of the foremost authorities on the topic of World War I. Currently he teaches at Norwich University, and works as an Investigative Archivist at the National Archives and Records Administration. Yockelson resides in Annapolis. [2]
In 1984, [3] Yockelson graduated from Frostburg State University with his undergraduate degree in history. He earned his Master's degree in history from George Mason University. Afterwards Yockelson graduated from the Royal Military College of Science, Cranfield University with his Ph.D. in military history. [4]
Yockelson began working at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) in 1988. He started off as a military history specialist [5] in military records. He currently works as an investigative archivist in the Office of the Inspector General at NARA. His main duty is to investigate stolen historical document cases. [4] [6] He is also the head of the Archivist Recovery Team (ART) at NARA. [7]
Previously Yockelson was a professor of military history at the United States Naval Academy. He currently teaches graduate programs in military history at Norwich University. [4] [8]
Yockelson is the author of four books. His first book, Borrowed Soldiers: Americans Under British Command 1918 was named by London Independent as one of the best books on military history in 2008. [4] It originated from his dissertation on the United States Army during World War I. [6] He is the recipient of the Army Historical Foundation's Distinguished Writing Award. [8]
As an expert on World War I and military history, Yockelson lectures internationally and has acted as consultant for programs on the History Channel, PBS, 60 Minutes , Fox News , and The Pentagon Channel. [2] [4] [5] He has also been featured in the Los Angeles Times , The New York Times , The Wall Street Journal , and The Washington Post . [5] [6] On a regular basis, Yockelson leads tours of World War I battlefields for the Smithsonian Journeys and New York Times Journeys. [2]
Yockelson is an historical advisor to the U.S. World War I Centennial Commission. [2]
The II Corps was a corps-sized formation of the United States Army that was active in both World War I and World War II. It was originally formed and fought on the Western Front during World War I and was also the first American formation of any size to see combat in North Africa or Europe during World War II.
The Meuse–Argonne offensive was a major part of the final Allied offensive of World War I that stretched along the entire Western Front. It was fought from September 26, 1918, until the Armistice of November 11, 1918, a total of 47 days. The Meuse–Argonne offensive was the largest in United States military history, involving 1.2 million French, Siamese, and American soldiers, sailors and marines. It is also the deadliest campaign in the history of the United States Army, resulting in over 350,000 casualties, including 28,000 German lives, 26,277 American lives and an unknown number of French lives. American losses were worsened by the inexperience of many of the troops, the tactics used during the early phases of the operation, and the widespread onset of the global influenza outbreak called the "Spanish flu."
The American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) was a formation of the United States Armed Forces on the Western Front during World War I, composed mostly of units from the U.S. Army. The AEF was established on July 5, 1917, in France under the command of then-Major General John J. Pershing. It fought alongside French Army, British Army, Canadian Army, British Indian Army, New Zealand Army and Australian Army units against the Imperial German Army. A small number of AEF troops also fought alongside Italian Army units in 1918 against the Austro-Hungarian Army. The AEF helped the French Army on the Western Front during the Aisne Offensive in the summer of 1918, and fought its major actions in the Battle of Saint-Mihiel and the Meuse-Argonne Offensive in the latter part of 1918.
The Battle of Saint-Mihiel was a major World War I battle fought from 12–15 September 1918, involving the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) and 110,000 French troops under the command of General John J. Pershing of the United States against German positions. The U.S. Army Air Service played a significant role in this action.
Hugh Aloysius Drum was a career United States Army officer who served in World War I and World War II and attained the rank of lieutenant general. He was notable for his service as chief of staff of the First United States Army during World War I, and commander of First Army during the initial days of World War II.
General Charles Pelot Summerall was a senior United States Army officer. He commanded the 1st Infantry Division in World War I, was Chief of Staff of the United States Army from 1926 to 1930, and was President of The Citadel between 1931 and 1953.
The Battle of Château-Thierry was fought on July 1, 1918 and was one of the first actions of the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) under General John J. Pershing. It was a battle in World War I as part of the Second Battle of the Marne, initially prompted by a German Spring Offensive. German and local actions at Château-Thierry recommenced on May 31 to July 22, 1918, against the AEF, an American Expeditionary Force, consisting of troops from both the United States Army and Marine Corps units. These units from the 2nd US Division were the newest troops on the front in France and just barely out of training.
The Pancho Villa Expedition—now known officially in the United States as the Mexican Expedition, but originally referred to as the "Punitive Expedition, U.S. Army"—was a military operation conducted by the United States Army against the paramilitary forces of Mexican revolutionary Francisco "Pancho" Villa from March 14, 1916, to February 7, 1917, during the Mexican Revolution of 1910–1920.
Major General William Carey Lee was a senior United States Army officer who fought in World War I and World War II, during which he commanded the 101st Airborne Division, nicknamed the "Screaming Eagles". Lee is often referred to as the "Father of the U.S. Airborne".
Mason Mathews Patrick was a general officer in the United States Army who led the United States Army Air Service during and after World War I and became the first Chief of the Army Air Corps when it was created on July 2, 1926.
The Battle of St Quentin Canal was a pivotal battle of World War I that began on 29 September 1918 and involved British, Australian and American forces operating as part of the British Fourth Army under the overall command of General Sir Henry Rawlinson. Further north, part of the British Third Army also supported the attack. South of the Fourth Army's 19 km (12 mi) front, the French First Army launched a coordinated attack on a 9.5 km (6 mi) front. The objective was to break through one of the most heavily defended stretches of the German Siegfriedstellung, which in this sector used the St Quentin Canal as part of its defences. The assault achieved its objectives, resulting in the first full breach of the Hindenburg Line, in the face of heavy German resistance. In concert with other attacks of the Grand Offensive along the length of the line, Allied success convinced the German high command that there was little hope of an ultimate German victory.
Major General Clarence Ransom Edwards was a senior United States Army officer, known as the first Chief of the Bureau of Insular Affairs, and commander of the 26th Division in World War I.
John Francis O'Ryan was a Manhattan, New York City attorney, politician, government official and military officer. He served as commander of the 27th Division during World War I. He later served as a member of the New York State Transit Commission and as New York City Police Commissioner. During World War II he was New York State Civil Defense Director.
Major General Andre Walker Brewster was a United States Army officer and a recipient of the Medal of Honor. He served in several high-profile assignments throughout his long military career, including Inspector General of the United States Army and Inspector General of the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) in France during World War I. In addition, he was a veteran of the American Indian Wars, the Spanish–American War, the Philippine–American War, and Boxer Rebellion. He received the Medal of Honor for his role in the Battle of Tientsin during the Boxer Rebellion.
The Battle of the Selle took place between Allied forces and the German Army, fought during the Hundred Days Offensive of World War I.
General of the Armies John Joseph Pershing, nicknamed "Black Jack", was a senior American United States Army officer. He served most famously as the commander of the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) during World War I from 1917 to 1920. In addition to leading the AEF to victory in World War I, Pershing notably served as a mentor to many in the generation of generals who led the United States Army during World War II, including George C. Marshall, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Omar Bradley, Lesley J. McNair, George S. Patton, and Douglas MacArthur.
Major General George Windle Read was a senior United States Army officer who was prominent as a corps and division commander in World War I. Read also oversaw the departure of US forces from Europe at the end of the war as commander of the American Embarkation Center at Le Havre, France.
Major General Edward Mann Lewis, KCMG, was a highly decorated United States Army officer who served his nation for 46 years. During the First World War, he led the 30th Infantry Division when they broke the Hindenburg Line. Upon arrival in France in 1917, he was placed in command of all U.S. forces in Paris. In 1918 he led the 3rd Brigade of the 2nd Infantry Division at Château-Thierry where he was responsible for planning and leading the attack on the strategic town of Vaux. General John J. Pershing then promoted him and placed him in command of the 30th Infantry Division in July 1918. Assigned to the Fourth British Army, the 30th Division broke the Hindenburg Line on September 29, hastening the end of the Great War.
This is the American Expeditionary Forces on the Western Front order of battle. The American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) consisted of the United States Armed Forces that were sent to Europe in World War I to support the Allied cause against the Central Powers. During the United States campaigns in World War I the AEF fought in France alongside French and British allied forces in the last year of the war, against Imperial German forces. Some of the troops fought alongside Italian forces in that same year, against Austro-Hungarian forces. Late in the war American units also fought in Siberia and North Russia.
Forty-Seven Days: How Pershing's Warriors Came of Age to Defeat the German Army in World War I is a book by Mitchell Yockelson and published by NAL Caliber/New American Library about the Battles of the Meuse-Argonne.