WWI Rough Riders go into action

Melvin Loh

Just saw ROUGH RIDERS again on Fri nightn (an awesome telemovie depicting the Rough Riders in the Spanish-american War, with Tom Berenger playin the part of TR SO well)- TR in WWI actually raised more Rough Riders for service with the British, but ended up not being sent into action...

(wiki quote)
World War I
Just after the United States entered the war against the Central Powers, the U.S. Congress gave Roosevelt the authority to raise up to four divisions similar to the Rough Riders. Roosevelt immediately selected eighteen officers (including: Seth Bullock, Frederick Russell Burnham, and James Rudolph Garfield) to raise a volunteer infantry division, and began corresponding with Newton D. Baker, Secretary of War. After several months, many more men joined Roosevelt's World War I volunteers, but Baker refused to offer any assistance or guidance to the new unit. Frustrated, Roosevelt telegrammed President Woodrow Wilson requesting his assistance; however, as Commander-in-chief, Wilson refused to make use of the volunteers and Roosevelt disbanded the unit


So, WI the div of WWI-era Rough Riders saw action in France before the formation of the AEF, with the former's combat experience being a leavening experience for when the latter came to fight ? Could these Rough Riders have been utilised by the British as shock troops in a similar way to the CEF, AIF & NZEF ?
 

Wolfpaw

Banned
I recall reading a very good short story about this very thing, though I forget the author's name. Anyways, Roosevelt basically threatens that he'll complain to the media and make Wilson look bad, so Wilson reluctantly give TR the go-ahead just to shut him up.

The Rough Riders go to France but are kept well behind the lines. Fed up over his men not being used, Roosevelt finally ignores Pershing's orders and leads the Rough Riders to the front himself.

The Riders wind up charging a German trench line with their horses. The story ends with Wilson receiving a telegram about how the entire unit was annihilated and Roosevelt killed. Wilson is somewhat upset, but more "the idiot brought it upon himself."

Despite his refusal to accept that WWI is not glorious, noble, nor anything at all like the type of combat that he was used to and idolized, Teddy is still portrayed as a hero, giving his life in what he sees as a valiant and heroic charge at the enemy. A hero out of his time, perhaps, but a hero nonetheless.
 

Lugal

The story you're thinking of is "Over There" by Mike Resnick. One of Resnick's many TR stories (He's a fan of Roosevelt). This was featured in one of the "What Might Have Been" anthologies.
 

MacCaulay

Banned
wolfpaw122 said:
I recall reading a very good short story about this very thing, though I forget the author's name. Anyways, Roosevelt basically threatens that he'll complain to the media and make Wilson look bad, so Wilson reluctantly give TR the go-ahead just to shut him up.

The Rough Riders go to France but are kept well behind the lines. Fed up over his men not being used, Roosevelt finally ignores Pershing's orders and leads the Rough Riders to the front himself.

The Riders wind up charging a German trench line with their horses. The story ends with Wilson receiving a telegram about how the entire unit was annihilated and Roosevelt killed. Wilson is somewhat upset, but more "the idiot brought it upon himself."

Despite his refusal to accept that WWI is not glorious, noble, nor anything at all like the type of combat that he was used to and idolized, Teddy is still portrayed as a hero, giving his life in what he sees as a valiant and heroic charge at the enemy. A hero out of his time, perhaps, but a hero nonetheless.
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Lugal said:
The story you're thinking of is "Over There" by Mike Resnick. One of Resnick's many TR stories (He's a fan of Roosevelt). This was featured in one of the "What Might Have Been" anthologies.
Click to expand...

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Over There was probably the best alternate history short story ever written.
 
Fenrir_Angerboda

Fenrir_Angerboda

MacCaulay said:
It's Teddy freaking Roosevelt.

He'd be leading people into battle if the soldier behind him had to push his wheelchair.
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he has Malaria at this point in time.
nearly died in 1913 while exploring the Amazon.

even he wouldn't be that crazy.

also the Proposed Regiment had to be made up of 100% americans, no Hyphinated-Americans.
also spent some of his time Denoucing Irish- and/or German-americans. claimed they where unpatriotic for advocating america's Neutrality.
 

Ordinary joe

Donor
The Riders wind up charging a German trench line with their horses.
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I don't know a whole lot about the Rough Riders, so I could be wrong. But didn't the Rough Riders of the Spanish-American War do most of their fighting on foot? If so, why would they do otherwise in Europe?
 
Fenrir_Angerboda

Fenrir_Angerboda

Ordinary joe said:
I don't know a whole lot about the Rough Riders, so I could be wrong. But didn't the Rough Riders of the Spanish-American War do most of their fighting on foot? If so, why would they do otherwise in Europe?
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Pretty sure they did most of the fighting on foot.
if they do serve in WWI, they may use horses at the start, and then after some horrible exeperiances with trench warfare, loses the Horses.

Unless they do serve on the Arabian Front. might be more practical out there.
 

Melvin Loh

Fenrir_Angerboda said:
Pretty sure they did most of the fighting on foot.
if they do serve in WWI, they may use horses at the start, and then after some horrible exeperiances with trench warfare, loses the Horses.

Unless they do serve on the Arabian Front. might be more practical out there.
Click to expand...

hmmm, would be interesting to see the Rough Riders serve alongside the ANZAC Light Horse in liberating Jerusalem- wonder what Allenby would've made of the likes of Teddy & his boys ? Also, given that TR had strongly denounced Ottoman massacres of the Armenians during the turn of the century, could he have in addition pushed for a greater US involvement against Turkey ?

but if the Rough Riders had served in France- more likely than not, they'd again have been dismounted inf, as in Cuba...
 
Fenrir_Angerboda

Fenrir_Angerboda

Melvin Loh said:
hmmm, would be interesting to see the Rough Riders serve alongside the ANZAC Light Horse in liberating Jerusalem- wonder what Allenby would've made of the likes of Teddy & his boys ?
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Hmm.
I think he'ld find a good way to use them.


Also, given that TR had strongly denounced Ottoman massacres of the Armenians during the turn of the century, could he have in addition pushed for a greater US involvement against Turkey ?
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maybe.
what's the likelyhood of America getting a slice of the Middle east at the end of the war?
Nil?
 

EvolvedSaurian

Ordinary joe said:
I don't know a whole lot about the Rough Riders, so I could be wrong. But didn't the Rough Riders of the Spanish-American War do most of their fighting on foot? If so, why would they do otherwise in Europe?
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In Cuba they fought as dismounted cavalry due to logistics issues, in that there simply wasn't enough room on the transports for more than a couple of TR's horses.
 

Orville_third

Banned
Melvin Loh said:
hmmm, would be interesting to see the Rough Riders serve alongside the ANZAC Light Horse in liberating Jerusalem- wonder what Allenby would've made of the likes of Teddy & his boys ? Also, given that TR had strongly denounced Ottoman massacres of the Armenians during the turn of the century, could he have in addition pushed for a greater US involvement against Turkey ?
Click to expand...
It would give new meaning to TR's quote, "We stand at Armageddon, and we battle for the Lord!"
 
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