The Polar Bear Expedition

Explore a little-known chapter of World War I with award-winning historian James Carl Nelson as he recounts the American North Russia Expeditionary Force's "Polar Bear Expedition." In 1918, approximately 5,000 U.S. soldiers, primarily from Michigan, were dispatched to Archangel, Russia, to confront the Red Army amid the chaos of the Russian Civil War. Battling not only Bolsheviks but also extreme winter conditions, these troops faced intense challenges and significant loss before their withdrawal in July 1919. The narrative continues a decade later when veterans return to honor their fallen comrades, marking a poignant legacy of sacrifice and remembrance.