Pride, Patriotism, and the Press: The Evolving True Story of the First American Shot of World War I

Abstract:On October 23, 1917, Alex Arch, a Hungarian-born artillery officer from South Bend, Indiana, fired the first American shot of World War I from a muddy gun pit in the French countryside. This article investigates how Arch's action was misreported in the press, and discusses the many forces acting on the recording of this historical event. Fisher and Kuntzman's investigation reveals the problematic collision of a variety of conflicting impulses: a need to protect sensitive military information; the desire to claim bragging rights for this important milestone; the drive to have a sensational story that sells newspapers, and the government's need to share a hero with the American people.