Lucky Charlie
This is a transcription of an original document written by Charles Leo Boucher (the transcriber's maternal grandfather). His story, written in the first person, tells about the glory and horror of combat, highjinks to make you laugh, the tedium and terror of the Army Hospitals, but ends with the culmination of a chaste and successful romance.
Boucher with a (temporary) rank of Sergeant served in the 102^nd Infantry Regiment of the 26^th Division (The Yankee Division) of the US Army, part of the World War 1 American Expeditionary Force in France. He led a platoon, which defended the front line during the Seicheprey raid April 19-20, 1918, the first fight where American troops opposed the German Army without aid from our Allies. Of the 65 men in his platoon all except eight were killed; the remainder including Boucher were badly wounded. During his convalescence in France he met his future wife.
Memorial Day, May 27, 2002
To honor the memory of Charles Leo Boucher and his Buddies, but especially for all the soldiers whose stories are never told.
Edited Version for the General Reader - Maps, Photos and Sidebars (PDF file ~1.6 Mb download ~5 min.)
Sample Scanned Page from the Original Document (PDF file ~150 Kb download ~1 min.)
Verbatim Transcription for the Scholars (PDF file ~200 Kb download ~ 1 min.)
Complete Original Scanned Pages for the Scholars (How to Request a CD with the PDF file ~80 Mb)
Chas.Merrill@luckycharlie.com Messages to the Transcriber		Hints about Using Acrobat Reader™ (and Downloading)