The 32nd Infantry Division was the sixth U.S. division to join the Allied Expeditionary Force. Over the next six months, the division was under constant fire, with only 10 days rest. The division took a leading role in three important offensives, fighting on five fronts, suffered more than 14,000 casualties, captured more than 2,000 prisoners, and never yielded a foot of ground to the enemy. The French nicknamed them "Les Terribles". The American, French, and Belgian governments decorated more than 800 officers and enlisted men for their gallantry in combat. The 32nd Division was the only American division recognized with a nom-de-guerre by an Allied nation during the war. Lice infestation was the norm in the trenches, it is estimated that up to 97% of officers and men who worked and lived in the trenches were afflicted with lice. Lice often spread disease, the unique so-called Trench Fever. Lice who had sucked the blood of one infected person quickly succeeded in spreading the infection to each successive host. Trench Fever, although not usually life-threatening, was often highly debilitating and resulted in a trench casualty rate of up to 15%.
