Fentress, George Linwood

Among the more than 640,000 men who served in the AEF Services of Supply during the First World War was one VPI man – 1LT George L. Fentress. Fentress, graduated from Virginia Polytechnic Institute in 1899 and when he entered the service in August 1917 he left behind a family of five children (with an additional sixth child which would be born just two months before he departed for France). Fentress originally served in the 314th Infantry, 79th Division. However, due to the need for officers in logistics units, Fentress was transferred to M Company, First Pioneer Infantry (under the Services of Supply) before departing for France.

Fentress did not leave behind a detailed account of his service. On his Military Service Record he provided basic information about the units he served with and indicated that he participated in engagements at “Marne-Aisne, Aisne-Oise, and Meuse-Argonne.” However, we can piece together some of his experiences in the war through learning more about M Company’s service. Much of Fentress’ service in the three months after M Company arrived in France in July 1918 consisted of clearing, repairing, maintaining, and building roads near the front line which were key to operational movement and supply.

For the last three weeks of the war, however, from October 21 through the armistice, M Company was assigned to burial detail and attached to the 4^th, 5^th, 32^nd, 80^th, 90^th Divisions. This work was not without dangers as burial details were often close to the front line and under constant threat of artillery bombardment, gas, and direct enemy fire. As the First Pioneer historian wrote, during M Company’s time on burial detail they were “subject to heavy fire at times, losing two men killed and seventeen wounded and the mental strain incident to work was one of the severest kind.” This was one of the highest company casualty rates in the First Pioneer Infantry.

As a unit chaplain for the First Pioneers described of M Company’s work, they “worked four solid weeks digging great trenches in which to lay away comrades in arms. Truck load after truck load of broken bodies, severed heads, lost arms and torn legs were laid away by these same men. Men lost their minds and officers had nervous prostration as a result of the terrible strain.”

In his Military Service Record, Fentress left no details about his experiences in the service. When he returned to America and left the service, Fentress resumed family life and found work as an insurance agent with Pan American Life Insurance. Tough George Fentress returned to his life, what he saw and experienced in France would have remained with him forever.

• Marne-Aisne
• Aisne-Oise
• Meuse-Argonne

• Marne-Aisne
• Aisne-Oise
• Meuse-Argonne

• Chester W. Davis, The First Pioneer Infantry, U.S.A., 1919, accessed on Hathi Trust at https://hdl.handle.net/2027/uc2.ark:/13960/t0zp45x5g