Allen M. Sumner, Jr.

Unit: 5th Marine Regiment; 81st Company, 6th Machine Gun Battalion
Branch of Service: Marine Corps
Rank: Captain

"I am resolved to do the best I can no matter where they put me.” (Letter to wife Mary, December 22, 1917)

Allen Sumner was born on October 1, 1882 in Boston, Massachusetts, and graduated from Harvard University in 1904. He was commissioned as a Marine officer in 1907, but left the Marine Corps to return to civilian life in January 1914. He returned to the Marine Corps as a Reserve officer on March 17, 1917, a few weeks before the U.S. entered into World War I.

Sumner was activated and assigned to be the commander of 20th Company, 5th Marine Regiment, which was in the process of forming in Philadelphia. The 5th Marines, as members of the 4th Marine Brigade, deployed to France in the summer of 1917 as part of the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF). He was later reassigned to be executive officer of the 81st Company, 6th Machine Gun Battalion. His original company commander with the 81st Company was his wife's cousin, Major Littleton W.T. Waller, Jr., who paved the way for Sumner to take over command when Waller left the unit in April 1918.

Sumner and his colleagues underwent several months of training after arriving in France, while also guarding rear areas. They were inserted into the front lines on the Western Front in March 1918. Sumner and his unit participated in the Battle of Belleau Wood in June 1918, an Allied victory that was to become an important chapter of Marine Corps history. Sumner also participated in the Battle of Soissons in July 1918, an Allied counterattack that was part of the Second Battle of the Marne, during the last major German offensive of the war. He was awarded the Silver Star on three occasions, as well as the Croix de Guerre twice by the French government.

*Sumner's wife, Mary Morris Sumner, and daughter, Margaret Page Sumner.* Allen M. Sumner, Jr. Collection. Library of Congress Veterans History Project.

As a Marine officer with the AEF, Sumner rubbed shoulders with some fellow officers who would go on to become prominent figures in Marine Corps history, including Robert L. Denig External, Clifton B. Cates External, and Littleton Waller, Jr. External These officers are mentioned in his letters, as is Army surgeon Jefferson Randolph Kean External, his wife's uncle who served as Chief of the Department of Military Relief, American Red Cross during World War I.

What comes through most powerfully from his letters, however, are the relationships he had with his wife Mary, his daughter Margaret, and the men who served under his command. The majority of the correspondence in his collection are letters he sent to Mary, and from them one can see evidence of a deeply devoted couple that endured trying circumstances. The love that Allen and Mary had for their daughter is also obvious, as they discuss her often, and Allen also corresponded with Margaret while he was in France.

Allen's dedication to his Marines is also revealed in his letters to Mary, as he clearly worried about them and wanted to make sure they were prepared for combat. It is also evident from a letter one of his subordinates wrote after the war, wherein he stated that he had "never served under a kinder or more humane commanding officer, or one who was more beloved by his men."

Philadelphia - Mobilizing for War | April-May 1917

After being activated as a Reserve officer in March 1917, Sumner's first stop was the Philadelphia Navy Yard, where the 5th Marine Regiment was being formed. The 5th Marines would join with the 6th Marine Regiment and 6th Machine Gun Battalion—which were being formed in Quantico, Virginia at the same time—to form the 4th Brigade of Marines that deployed to France attached to the Army's 2nd Division.

Sumner's letters to his wife and mother from this time discuss practical issues such as finding housing in Philadelphia, but also convey the excitement he felt at being part of such a momentous undertaking.

Letter to Mary Sumner. April 25, 1917. Library of Congress Veterans History Project.

Letter to Ellen Sumner. May 5, 1917. Library of Congress Veterans History Project.

Letter to Ellen Sumner. May 30, 1917. Library of Congress Veterans History Project.

In his letter of April 25th, 1917, Sumner wrote to his wife Mary, whom he always addressed as "My Dearest." He expressed frustration that he had lost his on-base quarters to a higher-ranking major and would have to find housing in town, but also excitement that she was coming to visit him in a few days from their home in Washington, D.C. He also hinted at the rapid build-up program that the Marine Corps had embarked on in order to assemble a brigade for deployment to France:

"Recruits are coming in fast. Over 1,000 a day for the whole Marine Corps."

On May 5, 1917, Sumner wrote to his mother Ellen and told her a little of his day-to-day life in Philadelphia, again emphasizing how busy they were with the large numbers of Marines pouring into the Navy Yard. But he also discussed the horticultural interests of the two German prisoners of war that his unit was responsible for overseeing:

"Our two German prisoners seem very contented...We have to censor their letters and one wrote that he had fine food, was well treated and very comfortable and was learning to be a real farmer! We have them working in the Post garden under guard to give them exercise."

Rear Area Duty in France | August 1917-February 1918

Sumner sailed for France in August 1917, and got his first taste of the action on the voyage over when his convoy was attacked by a German U-boat. He went over as the company commander for 20th Company, 5th Marine Regiment, but lost his company in October—as a captain in the Reserve he found himself being leapfrogged in seniority by all active-duty officers as soon as they were promoted to captain, much to his frustration. He was assigned to Headquarters, Line of Communication—the command in charge of rear-area operations for the American Expeditionary Force in France&mdashfor two months as the assistant to the Chief of Staff. In December he returned to the 5th Marines, and served as a headquarters company commander, as well as adjunct for the 1st Battalion, 5th Marines' commander for another period of two months. In February 1918 he was reassigned to be executive officer (second-in-command) of the 81st Machine Gun Company, 6th Machine Gun Battalion—a company commanded by his wife's cousin, Major Littleton Waller, Jr.

Letter to Mary Sumner, August 20, 1917
"This morning at about 8:30 a.m. we were attacked by enemy submarines and beat them off after an engagement lasting about an hour and a half...." Sumner was proud of the fact that some of his Marines from the 20th Company were the first from the regiment to gain combat experience by firing at the German U-boats. "We only got a chance to fire a few shots from this ship the destroyer doing most of the work, but we saw a periscope coming at us and drove her under by our fire." Their ship arrived in port in St. Nazaire on the west coast of France that evening, after two weeks at sea, prompting Sumner to remark "Well I am certainly glad to be in."
Letter to Mary Sumner, September 6, 1917
"You would laugh if you knew where we are. It is so different from what most everyone would imagine." Sumner enjoyed his time traveling France away from the front lines, and exhibited a wry sense of humor at his good fortune to do so. He expressed admiration for the French people and soldiers that he got to meet, "I have met a number of French officers, some with the Croix de Guerre and Legion of Honor, and believe me the French Army is magnificent in its spirit." Being conversant in French, he had the opportunity to get to know French civilians: "Everywhere the people as a whole are in the war heart and soul, even the children, and no one before coming over here can possibly understand what it means to them."
Letter to Mary Sumner, September 12, 1917
This was the second letter of the day that Sumner wrote to his wife Mary. Concerned that not all his letters were making it home to her, he sent this one back with a Navy officer who was departing to return to the U.S. Since this letter would not be censored, he was able to be more open with her about his activities in France, though he warned her not to tell anyone that he had sent a letter in this manner. He informed her that his battalion was to be on "line of communication duty for a long while," which meant guarding bases and transportation hubs in the rear. He also discussed a bill (65 S. 2117) that Senator Peter Gerry had introduced in Congress to have Sumner appointed to the Marine Corps' active list.

In his letter of September 12, 1917 to his wife Mary, Sumner also expressed his deep devotion to her in a manner typical of their correspondence, juxtaposing their sadness at being separated with their determination that the war be won:

"I love you so much and do wish I would see you soon, but we have to put this thing through and once it's over we will be so happy together again."

*Sumner's wife, Mary Morris Sumner.* Allen M. Sumner, Jr. Collection. Library of Congress Veterans History Project.

Letter to Mary Sumner, December 15, 1917
Sumner has returned to the 5th Marines after his stint as assistant to the chief of staff of Headquarters, Line of Communication. The 5th Marines are still based in and around Bordeaux, and Sumner has been assigned to command a headquarters company. About not being able to command his old 20th Company, he tells Mary "It is enough to take the heart out of anyone, but I try to think that I came over here to do my best and take what comes as a soldier should but it is pretty hard." A few days later, Sumner would be given the task of serving as town mayor for the town in which they were billeted, a responsibility that required him to liaise with French authorities and resolve any disputes that cropped up. He showed his normal positive attitude by telling Mary, "It is rather good fun."
Letter to Mary Sumner, December 29, 1917
Allen conveys his hope that the package he sent home with Christmas presents has arrived, while also expressing how much he misses Mary and their daughter Margaret: "Do write me all you can about Margaret. I miss you both so much. I shall never forget the way she looked when we left Philadelphia, holding onto your shirt and leaning against you. I watched you both as long as I could see you. As I look back over the last year I realize how selfish I have been in many things towards you, but you know how much I love you." He closed with the following message of hope for the new year to come: "Happy New Year. I hope 1918 will see me home again. Don't worry."
Letter to Allen Sumner from Mary Sumner, January 11, 1918
Mary tells Allen of her ongoing efforts to get his bill pushed through Congress, as well as a trip she took to visit wounded servicemembers at the Naval Hospital - a trip she said gave her "the blues." She also tells him that while she worries about him being in the trenches, she wants him to have the opportunity "to go with your men" as she knows it is what he wants. "I have been so worried about you for this week I had that queer dream that I always have when there is any change in your life and duty." She also describes the enormous sense of responsibility she feels in caring for her uncle's children - her uncle, Brigadier General J. Randolph Kean, was a widower also serving in France as Chief of the Department of Military Relief, American Red Cross. She reflected positively, however, on the effects of the war's responsibilities on her and Allen: "This war is making better men and women of us and I feel that when you come back we are going to mean more to each other..."
Letter to Mary Sumner, February 13, 1918
Allen informs Mary that he has been reassigned to be the second-in-command of the 81st Company, 6th Machine Gun Battalion, a move he is excited about. "I was sorry to have to give up the 20th for sentimental reasons but this work is far more interesting than infantry work, and never monotonous." He reports that they are in training all day, while also having to devote significant time to caring for their horses and mules, important members of a machine gun company. While he is having to study extra to catch up on the tactics and techniques of machine gun employment, he tells Mary "I don't mind it and am in fine shape physically."

Toulon Sector | March-May 1918

From March to May, the 81st Company, along with the rest of the 4th Marine Brigade, was moved into a quiet sector of the Western Front near Verdun for an introduction to the realities of trench warfare.

Allen's first letter from the front was dated March 21, 1918, and in his first few letters from the trenches he tried to reassure his wife Mary that he was comfortable and posted to a calm area. In his letter dated April 2, he somewhat contradicted his earlier reassurances, however, by recounting one of their first combat experiences, and complaining about the rats and the mud in the trenches:

"Rain for three days and the mud is knee deep in some of the trenches I have to go through in making the rounds to the guns. Also not being able to take off your clothes day or not for ten days at a time is not exactly comfortable but "c'est la guerre" as the French say, and like everything else one grows used to it." (Letter to Mary Sumner, April 2, 1918)

Letter to Mary Sumner, April 5, 1918
"I am still in the trenches and very well indeed." Allen begins this letter with his customary attempt to soothe Mary's concerns for him, continuing: "It is very quiet here, with only a little shelling occasionally in spots." He often complicated his own efforts at calming her nerves, however, by recounting events from the combat action his company had seen, as he does in this letter, telling Mary about an imperturbable Marine cook who kept working despite German shells bursting directly above his galley. "After it was over I went out to investigate and found the cook still at work in the galley. I asked him why he hadn't gone into the dugout with the rest. The shells had gone over the galley. He is an old marine. "I was working dinner Sir, and it would have spoiled if I had left it" was his reply."
Letter to Mary Sumner, May 1, 1918
"I am trying to write you oftener, and now will you try and give me more news in your letters dear?" While Allen and Mary were generally very gentle and loving in their letters to each other, Allen did occasionally show an eagerness for Mary to include more news of current events in her letters, as he was cut off from virtually all news sources at the front. Allen also informs Mary that he has been promoted to company commander of the 81st Company, as Littleton Waller has been detached for an assignment with an Army command. He is concerned, however, that he may lose command again when one or more of the lieutenants underneath him are promoted. Sumner closes the letter by telling Mary, "I am still holding down a collection of muddy trenches."

Belleau Wood | June 1918

In the spring of 1918, the Germans launched a series of massive offensives along the Western Front, determined to force a decisive victory before the full weight of American military strength could be brought to bear. These offensives meant that American units such as the 4th Marine Brigade were sent into combat ahead of schedule, and for the Marines their first major test would come in June at Belleau Wood, a few miles west of the town of Chateau-Thierry. The Marines and soldiers who fought at Belleau Wood displayed courage and tenacity, eventually gaining control of the battlefield, and earning the respect of their allies and opponents alike.

Allen Sumner found himself right in the middle of the action at Belleau Wood, and his letters to Mary from this time provide an on-the-ground perspective of this historic battle.

Postcard to Mary Sumner, June 11, 1918
Field Service Post Cards such as this one were designed to give servicemembers a mechanism to send a quick communication to loved ones at home, letting them know that they were alive and would write a letter "at first opportunity." In the thick of the fighting at Belleau Wood, Sumner dashed off this postcard to Mary, informing her that he was "quite well."
Letter to Mary Sumner, June 14, 1918
"I suppose you have seen in the papers what we in the Marine Brigade have been doing..." Allen Sumner was in good spirits when he wrote this letter, despite not having been able to change his clothes or get a hot meal for the past two weeks that they have been in combat. He shows a sense of pride at the Marines' performance under fire: "we licked the Boche good and proper wherever we met him..." But he also hints at the carnage that the battle caused on both sides: "The company did well, and luckily we didn't have as many losses as some. I will have a great deal to tell you when I see you again dearest, won't I?"
Letter to Mary Sumner, June 21, 1918
"I do hope all my letters are getting through to you now, as I know you must be worried after it came out in the papers about us." Allen again tries to reassure Mary in this letter, but his reminder to her that he had taken out a $10,000 war risk insurance policy perhaps betrays his true feelings of concern. His concern can perhaps be explained by his recitation of all the friends he has lost at Belleau: "Cole [6th Machine Gun Battalion commander] died of wounds. Ted Fuller also killed. You probably heard Sergeant Kite in my company was killed. Do you remember him?"

Schutz Group Photographers. *Belleau Woods, looking toward Belleau Torcy Hill 193 and the German lines.* 1919. Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division.

"...all dotted with red poppies." | July 1918

In late June and early July 1918, Sumner and his comrades had a short period of rest in between the Battle of Belleau Wood and the Battle of Soissons, an Allied counterattack that began July 18, with the objective of severing German supply lines between Soissons and Chateau-Thierry. This was part of the larger Aisne-Marne Offensive, often regarded as a key turning point, as the Germans would afterwards be on the defensive for the remainder of the war.

Allen Sumner wrote three letters to his wife Mary during this lull in the action before Soissons. In them, he reflected on what he had been through at Belleau Wood, and the friends he had lost there. He expressed a determination to train his company's replacements well, and hoped that their daughter Margaret was doing well in school, while he also found the time to marvel at the beauty of the French countryside around him. While leading his company in an attack, he was killed in action by shrapnel from a German artillery round on the morning of July 19, 1918, four days after writing his last letter to Mary.

Letter to Mary Sumner, June 29, 1918
"Well I am out of it now with the company for a short rest and reorganization. It has been the hardest work I have ever done, but I am glad to have been through it all." In this letter, written three days after the Battle of Belleau Wood ended, Sumner expresses gratitude for the experiences he has had, and gratitude to be alive: "Have been under shell fire pretty continuously, bombed by aeroplanes under machine gun and rifle fire and have come through without a scratch, thank God." This gratitude is tempered, however, with an obvious sadness felt at the deaths of so many of his friends and colleagues: "Capt. Williams was killed. You remember him don't you in Phila [sic] when the 5th left? I wrote you Cole died from wounds and Fuller was killed. Capt. Robinson was killed... First Sergeant Grant of my old company was killed." These comrades of his were among the 1,811 Americans killed in the Battle of Belleau Wood.
Letter to Mary Sumner, July 8, 1918
"Things aren't quite so hard now as we have our rolling kitchen up with us and can get hot food but I hope soon we can get out altogether and have a chance for leave as no one has had any." Allen informs Mary that her cousin, Major Littleton Waller, Jr. has returned to the unit as battalion commander after Major Cole's death, and describes how the Marines who were wounded at Belleau Wood are all eager to return to the company. He reflects on his sense of pride in what his Marines accomplished, "Well it has been pretty tough work for a while and some of it I never will be able to forget. Most of it I want to remember, what many of the Marines did during those days was magnificent."
Letter to Mary Sumner, July 15, 1918
In a rest area a short distance back of the front lines, Sumner marvels at how quickly and efficiently his Marines can now dig fortifications, after he had them construct dugouts to sleep in: "It is remarkable how quickly men learn the value of picks and shovels once they have been on an active front as we have." He laments that while his unit captured a vast quantity of war trophies from the Germans, they also acquired body lice -- known to World War I veterans as "cooties" -- from the Germans' blankets. While describing the destruction of the French countryside, he reaffirms his belief in the necessity for a "complete and final victory" over the Germans to ensure "such things will not occur again in the near future." Allen tried to paint a picture of the countryside for Mary: "This is a beautiful farming country and some of the wheat fields were the finest I have ever seen, beautiful wheat, all dotted with red poppies." Such poppies were a common sight on the battlefields of the Western Front, and were to become the symbol of remembrance for those who died in World War I. Four days after writing this letter, Allen Sumner was killed near Vierzy during the Battle of Soissons.

Remembrances

Sumner's death on July 19, 1918 was keenly felt by his friends and family, even though they displayed a stern determination to continue on.

Letter to Mary Sumner from Littleton Waller, Jr., July 27, 1918
Major Littleton Waller, Jr. was Allen's friend and battalion commander when he died, and he was also Mary's cousin. He tells her, "I am more sorry than it is possible to express at having to write this letter to you." Waller also describes how Sumner died, "His end came as he would have wished it, at the head of his company at about 10 a.m. on July 19th the second morning of the big Allied attack now still going on.... Allen was with one of the platoons of his company waiting the signal to attack. They were under very heavy shell fire and he had placed his men under cover as much as possible while he remained exposed to watch for the signal. He was hit while so doing." Waller praised the work of Sumner's 81st Company during the battle, in which they took heavy casualties, and promised to do what he could to track down all of his belongings in France. He concludes this letter with the reassurance, "Allen did not die in vain. He left his work a shining example to all the officers of the battalion...."
Letter to Mary Sumner from Littleton Waller, Jr., September 21, 1918
While Mary's reply to Waller's letter of July 27 has not survived, she clearly impressed him with the resolve and patriotism she displayed at the news of Allen's death. "You are a dear brave girl to take the hard blow you have received in the way you do. It makes us feel that after all it is really worthwhile, and puts new strength in our spirits when we are tired out. There [are] times when we have had no rest for countless hours, little if any food and things are not going our way, that we begin to question. It is then that morale is low and it is the thought of you and of the others who have made great sacrifices that keeps us going so that those sacrifices shall not have been made in vain." Waller told her that he had given her letter to the new commander of 81st Company so that he could share it with the Marines who served under Sumner, and that the company was sending back a helmet and rifle as gifts to the Sumners' daughter Margaret. He also told her that the 81st Company has taken horrific casualties, but that morale among the survivors was still high: "In spite of their losses, you should see the spirit -- it is the old 81st -- rather the old Marine Corps spirit. Mary we have a bunch of unbeatable men, and the Hun knows it."
Letter to Mary Sumner from J. Randolph Kean, July 31, 1918
Kean was Mary's uncle and also an Army surgeon and Brigadier General who was serving in France as Chief of the Department of Military Relief, American Red Cross. His anguish at learning of Allen's death was exacerbated by the difficulty of finding information about an individual's death in the midst of a war that was killing servicemembers on an almost unimaginable scale. After telling her that he found Allen's name on a casualty list he confided, "This is all I know Nan dear and in the working of this vast machine the individual counts for so little and is so lost that it is not easy to find out anything." Kean affirms his gratitude to her for watching his children while he is in France, and urges her to be resilient for the sake of the children: "I am writing this letter dear girl with a sad and heavy heart. You must be brave and strong and [?] for your dear little Margaret and for Bob, who writes me what a good little mother you have been to him."
Memoir of Robert L. Denig
Published/Created: October 18, 1918
Robert Denig was serving as the commander for 2nd Battalion, 6th Marines during the Battle of Soissons. His battalion was supported during the battle by Sumner's machine gun company. This letter from Denig to his wife was released by the Committee of Public Information to the press and published in newspapers around the country. It provided a grim personal perspective of the bloody fighting in which Sumner was killed. Denig was a friend of Sumner's, and his sadness at the death of Sumner and so many of his comrades comes through vividly. Denig also remembers Sumner's unflappable wit on the eve of the battle, recalling that Sumner remarked "this looks easy - they do not seem to have much art." View Robert L. Denig's biography on the Marine Corps History Division's website.
Letter to Mary Sumner from James Woodburn, May 18, 1919
Woodburn was a Navy medical corpsman assigned to Sumner's 81st Company who was near Sumner when he was killed, and attempted to render aid. In this letter written 10 months after Allen's death, he tells Mary: "It was with a great deal of feeling that I read today of the presentation to you of the Croix de Guerre, awarded to your husband Allen M. Sumner.... allow me to state that I have never served under a kinder or more humane commanding officer, or one who was more beloved by his men." He went on to state, "The 81st Machine Gun Company lost a commanding officer, friend, and fatherly advisor; the Marine Corps lost an excellent officer; and the country lost one of its noblest men, one of whom it can be justly proud."