Oct 7, 2026 · 2 hr 59 min · 57 segments
"Yanks" by A.E.F. captures the spirit and sentiments of American soldiers during World War I through a collection of verse that reflects their experiences and emotions. This poignant anthology sheds…
FORWARD OF YANKS A.E.F., AMERICAN EXPEDITIONARY FORCES, VERSE FROM WORLD WAR I. yanks a e f american expeditionary forces verse from world war one by various originally published in the stars and stripes the official newspaper of the american expeditionary forces forward the a e f was about the most sentimental outfit that ever lived most of it so it seemed to any one who served on the staff of the stars and stripes wrote poetry All of it read poetry.
The Army's Poets column, in which some hundred thousand lines of verse were printed during the course of the Army newspaper's existence, was re-read, cut out, sent home, pinned or pasted up in dugouts, Adrian barracks and mess shacks, laughed over and in all likelihood wept over it was good verse occasionally the meter was out of joint the rhymes faulty the whole mechanism awry but it was good verse for all that for it rang true every syllable of it however the scansion may have halted or the expression blundered it was inspired by mud and cooties and gas and mess kits and bosch seventy sevens and home and mother all subordinated to a determination to stick it through whatever the time and pains involved Various anthologies of war verse have appeared in America.
Nearly all have consisted almost wholly of the work of non-combatant poets, indeed of professionals who wrote smoothly, visioned the horror with facile accuracy for what it was, and interpreted well for people who didn't get to the war.
Yanks is the work of men who got there.
It is a source book of AEF emotion.
yanks is composed entirely of selections from the verse published in the stars and stripes during the nine months of the pre-armistice career and seven months before the army newspaper according to the pledge of its editors was folded away never to be taken out again the profits from the original edition were to have been used to buy fruit and delicacies for americans sick and wounded in overseas hospitals and would have been but for the decision of the judge advocate general of the a e f who after the publication and sale of the volume refused to permit the expenditure of the proceeds because of a technicality the royalties accruing from the sale of this volume will be devoted to the stars and stripes fund for french war orphans to which six hundred thousand american soldiers gave more than 2,200,000 francs during their stay in France.
This republication is made with the consent and approval of Newton D. Baker, Secretary of War, under the direction of the former Editorial Council of the Stars and Stripes, now associated in the publication of The Home Sector.
Just Thinkin' by Hudson Hawley, Private MGBN, read by John Greenman for LibriVox.org Just Thinkin' Standin' up here on the fire-step, lookin' ahead in the mist, with a tin hat over your ivory and a rival clutched in your fist, waitin' and watchin' and wonderin' if the Hun's comin' over tonight.
Say, ain't the things you think of enough to give you a fright? Things you ain't even thought of for a couple of months or more.
Things that'll set you laughing.
Things that'll make you sore.
Things that you saw in the movies.
Things that you saw on the street.
Things that you're really proud of.
Things that are not so sweet.
debts that are past collectin stories you hear and forget ball games and birthday parties hours of drill in the wet headlines recruitin posters sunsets way out at sea evenings of pay-days gonelly it's a queer thing this memory faces of pals in holmberg voices of women-folk verses you learnt in school-days pop up in the mist and smoke as you stand there gripping that rifle a-staring and chilled to the bone wondering and wondering and wondering just thinking there all alone when will the war be over When will the gang break through? What will the U.S.
look like? What will there be to do? Where will the Bosches be then? Who will have married Nell? When's that relief a-comin' up? Gosh, but this thinkin's hell.
To the Kid Sister by J. T. W.
Private A. S.
Read by John Greenman for LibriVox.org To the Kid Sister You were only a kid, little sister, when I started over the sea, but you've grown quite a lot since I came here, and you've written a letter to me, and nobody knows that you wrote it.
It's a secret, and we'll keep it well, your brother and you and the ocean, and nobody's going to tell.
You were only a tot when I left you.
i remember i bade you good-bye and i kissed you a little bit flustered and you promised you never would cry but i know that you cried little sister as soon as i'd gone out the door and did i cry myself i'm a soldier so Don't ask me anything more.
I think of you often, kid sister.
FORWARD OF YANKS A.E.F., AMERICAN EXPEDITIONARY FORCES, VERSE FROM WORLD WAR I. yanks a e f american expeditionary forces verse from world war one by various originally published in the stars and stripes the official newspaper of the american expeditionary forces forward the a e f was about the most sentimental outfit that ever lived most of it so it seemed to any one who served on the staff of the stars and stripes wrote poetry All of it read poetry.
The Army's Poets column, in which some hundred thousand lines of verse were printed during the course of the Army newspaper's existence, was re-read, cut out, sent home, pinned or pasted up in dugouts, Adrian barracks and mess shacks, laughed over and in all likelihood wept over it was good verse occasionally the meter was out of joint the rhymes faulty the whole mechanism awry but it was good verse for all that for it rang true every syllable of it however the scansion may have halted or the expression blundered it was inspired by mud and cooties and gas and mess kits and bosch seventy sevens and home and mother all subordinated to a determination to stick it through whatever the time and pains involved Various anthologies of war verse have appeared in America.
Nearly all have consisted almost wholly of the work of non-combatant poets, indeed of professionals who wrote smoothly, visioned the horror with facile accuracy for what it was, and interpreted well for people who didn't get to the war.
Yanks is the work of men who got there.
It is a source book of AEF emotion.
yanks is composed entirely of selections from the verse published in the stars and stripes during the nine months of the pre-armistice career and seven months before the army newspaper according to the pledge of its editors was folded away never to be taken out again the profits from the original edition were to have been used to buy fruit and delicacies for americans sick and wounded in overseas hospitals and would have been but for the decision of the judge advocate general of the a e f who after the publication and sale of the volume refused to permit the expenditure of the proceeds because of a technicality the royalties accruing from the sale of this volume will be devoted to the stars and stripes fund for french war orphans to which six hundred thousand american soldiers gave more than 2,200,000 francs during their stay in France.
This republication is made with the consent and approval of Newton D. Baker, Secretary of War, under the direction of the former Editorial Council of the Stars and Stripes, now associated in the publication of The Home Sector.
Just Thinkin' by Hudson Hawley, Private MGBN, read by John Greenman for LibriVox.org Just Thinkin' Standin' up here on the fire-step, lookin' ahead in the mist, with a tin hat over your ivory and a rival clutched in your fist, waitin' and watchin' and wonderin' if the Hun's comin' over tonight.
Say, ain't the things you think of enough to give you a fright? Things you ain't even thought of for a couple of months or more.
Things that'll set you laughing.
Things that'll make you sore.
Things that you saw in the movies.
Things that you saw on the street.
Things that you're really proud of.
Things that are not so sweet.
debts that are past collectin stories you hear and forget ball games and birthday parties hours of drill in the wet headlines recruitin posters sunsets way out at sea evenings of pay-days gonelly it's a queer thing this memory faces of pals in holmberg voices of women-folk verses you learnt in school-days pop up in the mist and smoke as you stand there gripping that rifle a-staring and chilled to the bone wondering and wondering and wondering just thinking there all alone when will the war be over When will the gang break through? What will the U.S.
look like? What will there be to do? Where will the Bosches be then? Who will have married Nell? When's that relief a-comin' up? Gosh, but this thinkin's hell.
To the Kid Sister by J. T. W.
Private A. S.
Read by John Greenman for LibriVox.org To the Kid Sister You were only a kid, little sister, when I started over the sea, but you've grown quite a lot since I came here, and you've written a letter to me, and nobody knows that you wrote it.
It's a secret, and we'll keep it well, your brother and you and the ocean, and nobody's going to tell.
You were only a tot when I left you.
i remember i bade you good-bye and i kissed you a little bit flustered and you promised you never would cry but i know that you cried little sister as soon as i'd gone out the door and did i cry myself i'm a soldier so Don't ask me anything more.
I think of you often, kid sister.
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