The War of 1812, which was fought largely on American soil, could be seen as something of a bloody family feud. England had invaded the newly fledged United States of America in an attempt to bring the runaway colonies back under the thumb of the British Royal Family, and it took three years (and a burned-down capital city) to send them back to their own shores.
What did it take to bury the hatchet? One hundred two years, as it happens, and the first World War. The U.S. received an urgent call for help from our English cousins as their backs were driven up against the wall by German forces. The family feud was over, and American troops were on their way to help secure the British battle lines.
Trouble was, the war was already on by the time we got there, and that meant that the first American troops fought under British command, and using British arms. In this terrific episode of American Rifleman TV, "Over There! Part 7: No Finer Troops," we learn about U.S. soldiers of the 27th and 30th Infantry Divisions who fought on the Western Front. What could be finer (besides our troops)?
