Oliver Jackson
Oliver Jackson from Cloquet, Minnesota served in the American Expeditionary Force as a Corporal with Company E of the 54th Pioneer Infantry. The 54th arrived in Europe in September of 1918, and it fought in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive that fall. After the Armistice was signed, Jackson’s unit was sent into Germany as a garrison troop, waiting as an Army of Occupation for the Germans to sign the peace treaty.
"I had an idea we were coming back to the States 'toot sweet' [soon] but according to rumors Germany refuses to sign peace. Well if she don’t we all will have to bing + bang them on the Rhine... she is sure out of luck as long as the Yanks are here."
Like others in the AEF, Jackson sent many letters home with details on his service. The letters he sent after the fighting ended show that life as an occupying force could get a little boring. As he wrote in March 1919, he was often "sitting around doing nothing..."
Click on the letters below to read his words from the front.
For more stories about the medical service and home front experiences of World War I, use the page links below.