In the winter of 1914-15 a score or two of the donated automobile ambulances, which, because of the withdrawal of the front after the battle of the Marne, were no longer needed by the American Ambulance Hospital in Neuilly, had been temporarily lent with American volunteers as drivers, to French and British hospitals somewhat in the rear of the army zone at Paris Plage, Hesdin, Abbéville, Saint-Pol, Beauvais, and Dunkirk. But this work, however useful it may have been, was not of a character to appeal to enthusiastic and ardent young Americans, who were physically able and morally eager to share more of war's hardships and dangers. Many young Americans were already stirring with the desire to participate in the great world drama, yet they could not do so as combatants without sacrifice of their nationality. Admirers of France in America were becoming more and more numerous and generous and were seeking opportunities to contribute aid to the French armies. Every circumstance of the time pointed to the possibility of successfully developing an ambulance service, conducted by American volunteers, and supported by American donors, but working directly in the French army zone as part and parcel of the French Army.

A. Piatt Andrew, "Some of the Early Problems", in History of the American Field Service in France, "Friends of France," 1914-1917, Told by its Members. Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1920. Volume I.

In the month of April, 1915, all the preliminary arrangements for a volunteer ambulance service on the front had been completed. These arrangements had proved no easy task, for the French authorities had had some bitter experiences with spies masquerading as neutrals and much disillusionment as to the value of amateur war-workers. They were slow to be convinced that an organization composed entirely of amateur neutrals could give any real service. They had been perfectly willing to use volunteers in the evacuation of hospitals in the rear zone, but it was not until Mr. Andrew had succeeded in persuading these authorities that young American volunteers were more fitted for work at the front, and had guaranteed that only those whose loyalty to the Allies was unmistakable would be allowed to serve, that at last they permitted sections to be formed under army standards.

Stephen Galatti, "The Growth of the Service", in History of the American Field Service in France, "Friends of France," 1914-1917, Told by its Members. Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1920. Volume I.

For more than two years the Field Service had been serving the French divisions with ambulance sections conducted by American volunteers using material furnished by American donors. The number of volunteers was constantly multiplying as interest in America's participation in the war increased and as the Field Service became better known throughout the States. The Field Service had always responded within the limits of its modest capacity to every request that had been made upon it. Since April, 1915, it had furnished an ever-increasing number of ambulance sections to the French divisions serving on the French front. In the prolonged and terrible Battle of Verdun, during the preceding year, a very large proportion of the sanitary transport from the front-line postes had been performed by its sections. In the autumn of 1916, in response to a special request, two ambulance sections with double equipment had been sent to the Balkans to serve with the French armies in Albania and northern Greece. We had come to France to help in whatever way we could. The motto which headed all of our circulars was, "Tous et tout pour la France."

A. Piatt Andrew, "Origin of the Service", in History of the American Field Service in France, "Friends of France," 1914-1917, Told by its Members. Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1920. Volume III.