Buck Adams, a young farm boy, joined the Marine Corps in the spring of 1917. After boot camp at Paris Island and advanced training at Quantico, he was sent to France with the 97th Company, 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines. In June the Marines were sent to Belleau Wood for their fi rst battle where they suff ered many casualties. Later they fought at Soissons, Saint Mihiel, Blanc Mont, and in the Meuse-Argonne area. Th e Marines and several Army units were sent to Germany as occupation troops, fi nally returning home in 1919.