Trench Commander Post #5
EL PASO, TEXAS (January 18, 1917) — By the time winter weather hit El Paso in ernest, it was clear to the men of the Michigan National Guard that the excitement of chasing Pancho Villa below the border was unlikely to result in active service. Joseph L. Bachus and the men of the 31st Michigan Infantry Regiment expected orders to return home, and those orders reached the men in the later half of January 1917. On January 18th, the men struck their tents, cleaned up the camp, and packed their gear with only a handful of postcards to provide glimpses of the excitement and savagery of the Mexican Revolution that was unfolding below the Rio Grande.
Here are a few more of those postcard glimpses that Joe brought home in his duffle bag —
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Learn more about the novel behind the blog — Into No Man’s Land — by clicking on the book cover.