Samuel Bloom World War I archive

"Samuel Bloom was born in the Ukraine in 1895 and emigrated with his family to New York in early childhood. In October 1917, shortly after graduating from City College, he was drafted in the US Army, serving as a private (later private first class and company signaller) in Company L, 325th Infantry Battalion. In April 1918, he went with his company to France (by way of England), training with the English behind the Somme front (during the later part of the German spring offensive), then going to signal school, before rejoining his company for the AEF counter-offensive on the Lorraine front in July 1918. He participated in the St. Mihiel offensive (September 12-14, 1918) followed by open warfare in the Meuse-Argonne offensive, through Cornay, Fleville (October 11), and the Aire River. He was wounded by shrapnel on October 16, and sent back to a field hospital. His company continued fighting through November 1, when, out of an initial strength of 1000 men, the company had 137 men left, including only four officers. Bloom spent some time in a convalescent camp, and with casual companies, and was transferred in February 1919 to the American School Detachment at the Université Montpellier, where he received a diploma for courses in French literature and international law, before returning to the U.S. for demobilization in July 1919. His war experience effected his social views and may have hindered his career teaching civics, history, and at one time math, in New York high schools. He published a textbook Economic Citizenship (College Entrance Publishing, 1935), and also taught night school to immigrants. He died on Long Island in 1976." --Patrick G. Scott.