Average Americans — Context and Discussion

A Dual Voice: Father and Son

The book's preface is not a conventional introduction but a selection of letters from Theodore Roosevelt Sr. to his children, dated 1917–1918. These passages speak of 'the great crisis that sifted out men's souls' and criticize military bureaucracy—'appointments are made primarily on grounds of seniority.' The younger Roosevelt then takes over, but the paternal voice lingers. In the main text, the author often echoes his father's blend of idealism and impatience, as when he notes that 'words count for but little when the drumming guns have been waked.' This intergenerational dialogue gives the memoir a dual perspective: the elder's strategic frustration from home, the younger's tactical immediacy at the front.

The Language of Combat

Roosevelt's descriptions of military action are precise and unadorned. He recounts a raid where 'the raiding party worked up into position, passing by through the mist like black shadows.' The prose favors concrete details over grand rhetoric: 'trenches were shallow and scanty, and dugouts were almost lacking.' Dialogue is sparse but telling—'Come out of there,' the men call down dugouts, and if the Huns do not comply, 'a couple of incendiary grenades were thrown down.' The author notes losses with a matter-of-fact tone: 'Unfortunately the one man killed was Lieutenant Freml, the raid leader, who fell in a hand-to-hand combat.' This restraint underscores the routine nature of violence.

Character Sketches Amid the Action

Roosevelt pauses to profile individual soldiers, offering glimpses of personality. Lieutenant Freml, an 'old Regular Army sergeant,' had fought in the Philippines and planned to 'return and establish a chicken farm.' His men 'were devoted to him and would follow him anywhere.' Another officer, Lieutenant Dabney, is simply 'a very good fellow from Louisville, Ky.' These brief portraits humanize the ranks without sentimentality. The author also notes the men's reactions: after a successful raid, they returned 'in high excitement and fine spirits,' and the first question from each returning party was 'S...' (cut off in the excerpt). Such details convey morale without editorializing.

Tension Between Policy and Practice

Throughout the excerpts, Roosevelt criticizes the military establishment indirectly. The preface includes his father's complaint that 'Generals Wood and Crowder have been denied the chance to render service' and that seniority rules hamper effectiveness. In the field, the author observes that 'too long a stay in our army—with its peculiar limitations—produces a rigidity of mind.' Yet he does not dwell on these grievances; instead, he focuses on the work at hand. The narrative thus embodies a central tension: the desire for reform versus the necessity of action. This undercurrent gives the memoir a critical edge without undermining its patriotic tone.

Readers should approach Average Americans as a document shaped by its dual authorship and its moment. The letters from Theodore Roosevelt Sr. provide a political and moral framework, while the younger Roosevelt's combat narrative offers a ground-level view. Pay attention to the shifts in register—from fatherly advice to tactical report—and to the way the author balances criticism of the system with respect for the men who serve. The incomplete excerpts leave some questions unanswered, but the voice remains consistent: direct, observant, and grounded in specific experience.