March 11, 1918
This morning the Companies were ordered to fall in just as on every morning. Instead of being marched out to the drill field, we were given some very disheartening news. We were told that there would be no more Company drilling. The entire Battalion had been made a replacement Battalion and most of the men would be sent to the first Division as replacements for the 28th Infantry Regiment, which had to be rebuilt to full strength to make up for the losses it had suffered in action.
At the time, each of us felt that we were begin done a grave injustice. We had drilled and worked hard together to make our outfit the very best we knew how. We believe were a smooth operating unit and should remain together as a unit. Of course we had nothing to say or do about it. The orders had come from the “top brass.”
A few weeks later all of us realized the wisdom and full import of the Companies being broken up and assigned to many other Companies of the First Division. The losses of any one Company could be terrific and had we remained together as a company, our communities back home would have been having dozens of casualties reported in a single day.
From "Big Boy": A diary of World War I by Quiren M. Groessl, via the Veterans History Project of the American Folklife Center, Library of Congress
Question
Use the passage to answer the question.
What realization did the writer come to about the orders to break up his company?
(1 point)
Responses
Orders are given by the “top brass” without any concern for the soldiers in the field.
Orders are given by the “top brass” without any concern for the soldiers in the field.
The purpose of orders is to keep people back home from knowing what is happening.
The purpose of orders is to keep people back home from knowing what is happening.
Orders might not be explained, but they have been carefully thought out.
Orders might not be explained, but they have been carefully thought out.
Decisions are made about orders without the consequences being considered.
Decisions are made about orders without the consequences being considered.
1 answer
The realization the writer came to about the orders to break up his company is:
Orders might not be explained, but they have been carefully thought out.
This is evident in the passage where the writer reflects that, after some time, they understood the wisdom behind the decision to break up the company, acknowledging that remaining together could have resulted in heavy casualties reported back home.
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1 answer
1 answer
1 answer