This is a diary, a World War I, on the front lines, diary. Everything you read is exactly how it was written in 1918.
Armed with naivety and a camera, Doggett learned that gas is "the worst modern way to torture humans" and nothing smells worse than dead horse.
John Locke Doggett Jr. was a member of the 53rd Artillery of the Army Coast Artillery Corps in the American Expeditionary Forces during the First World War from September 1917 until Armistice Day. During his time at the Front, Doggett rose to the rank of Captain and, along with this 11-month daily record, took over 500 front-line photographs documenting the death, destruction and humanity of the Great War.
When Doggett first entered the war, his privileged life seemed to follow him. He took regular weekend trips to Paris where he stayed in 5-star hotels, dined with Winston Churchill, was visited by vacationing relatives, and perused the Parisian Boulevards. However, soon after, Fourth of July fireworks were replaced with 60,000 rounds of exploding ammunition, turndown service was performed by rats, and luxury was now measured in number of baths per month. Throughout the diary, we see Doggett grow less concerned with letters from home, and more concerned with staying in the action at the Front.
