Soon to be Pfc. Ernest Julius Erickson (on the right ) in Tacoma, Washington in 1917 just before he would be serving in the American Expeditionary Force and training at Camp Lewis.

An excerpt from Ernest Julius's diary dated Tuesday, June 5th, 1917 goes simply:

"Went and signed up for Uncle Sam today, so if he wants me, I’m ready to go."

By September of 1918 Ernest would find himself in the Argonne Forest in France serving with the 361st Infantry. His in-the-field diary entries from September 26th through October 8th, 1918 are below.