As war correspondent for the Chicago Tribune during World War I, journalist Floyd Gibbons covered several important battles in France during 1918. Gibbons was awarded by the French the prestigious Croix de Guerre for his valour on the battlefield, and was made an honorary member of the US Marine Corps. "And They Thought We Wouldn"t Fight" alludes to the late entrance of the Americans into World War I, but presents a positive picture of American initiative and courage in the face of German firepower.