I’m broke and have been for over a month.

On this day, Grant Willard described in his diary the first day of Section Sixty-One's journey from Rupt-sur-Moselle toward Verdun. They spent the first night in the ancient city of Neufchâteau. There they encountered members of the U.S. Marine Corps, which had one of the earliest American training camps of the war in nearby Gondrecourt-le-Château.
 

Tuesday, July 31, 1917:

By 7 A.M. today everything was in readiness for our departure from Rupt. Johnnie and I had a heavy load of Frenchmen’s personal belongings. Practically every car had some kind of excess baggage. Our route for the next two days was given us and was as follows: Rupt, Remiremont, Épinal, Mirecourt, Neufchâteau (to spend the night here), Gondricourt, Vaucouleurs, Ligny-en-Barrois.

It had been raining for two days so the roads were perfect for convoy travel. The roads in this country are wonderful. The car was running beautifully so I let Johnnie drive most of the day which pleased him very much. There was not much excitement during the day. We gradually pulled away from the mountains and got out into a more level country. At noon we stopped at a farm and ate in a big barn as it was raining. Our meal was entirely cold except for some hot coffee after it was all over.

Neufchâteau 2010

When we reached Neufchâteau about 3:30 this P.M. we delayed about half an hour in town while arrangements were being made for spending the night. Suddenly a tremendous yell went up from our boys and looking down the street I saw the cause of it all. A Packard truck filled with American troops pulled up to the curb and our boys were making a beeline for them. It took me about 8 seconds to make the first 100 yards I covered. No sight has ever given me quite the thrill this one did. We did all but fall on their necks in our joy. They told us that there were about 13 regiments of them in that vicinity and about 12 regiments of Marines near Gondricourt. They had been over here for 2 months and were rapidly whipping into shape. This particular group were putting telephone lines through to Paris. They seemed very young, but had much pep and were looking in fit condition. They said they expected to be at the front in not more than two months.

After saying good-bye to these dear boys we parked our cars in a big cavalry barracks under the trees and prepared for the night. While we were still in the town waiting for further directions a very nice looking lady walking with a distinguished looking gentleman stopped at our car and she asked us, in very good English, who we were and where we were bound. She explained that she was an Irish nurse and that her companion was a very prominent French doctor, a specialist on typhoid fever. She said, “I can’t tell you boys how glad we all are to see America really over here at last. France has suffered more than but few of us realize and I’m speaking the truth when I say that France is absolutely spent. We in the hospital know as perhaps no one else knows the suffering these people have undergone. God bless you boys and your work.”

For dinner several of us went to a hotel in town where we met most of the section and ate delicious soup, real bread, tomato salad, meat, new potatoes and honey and peaches and plenty of good wine for 3 francs 50. I ate on Don Smith because I’m broke and have been for over a month.