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This is a Committee on Public Information photo, No. 4315.. From the Committee's catalog: "4315 SHOWING HIS PROWESS TO HIS INSTRUCTORS This marine now undergoing intensive training in France received approval from his instructors." Catalogue of Photographs and Stereopticon Slides United States. Committee on Public Information. Division of pictures March 1 to June 1, 1918 books.google.com/books?id=DYxDAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA25&lp...

Art Siegel: Thanks for finding the related image in the Catalogue of Photographs and Stereopticon Slides. We will include more details in our updated description.

French government archive of CPI photos has same photo, dated 3-27-18, with caption "Ce Marine américain est, après un long entraînement en France, considéré par ses supérieurs comme prêt à faire la guerre" www.culture.gouv.fr/public/mistral/memsmn_fr?ACTION=RETRO...

Date on bottom of image is 7-19-18

Date on negative, 5-27-18.The buffalo head on the wall and buffalo insignia on the door on the stage probably mark this as a facility of the "Buffalo Soldiers", segregated African-American units of the military.

Thanks Art Siegel for noticing the buffalo head on the wall and the insignia. This is probably the "Buffalo Auditorium" which was built and paid for by the African American 367th Infantry (sometimes known as the Buffalo Soldiers) stationed at Camp Upton. All soldiers at the camp used the facility for training and recreation. The 367th regiment coat of arms, an image of the exterior of the auditorium, and more information can be found here: babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=loc.ark:/13960/t4wh32p21;v... and here: babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924066373329;view=1u...

Very interesting.

Well they pose like Americans! And they look like their swank! But those are typical Irish names are they not? So there's a case their ancestors emigrated to the states not so long ago that the've still connections back home. So the photo could be from France with them back from the front line waiting to be sent to action. There might also be a possibility band members being allocated to act in the medic/ambulance role. If it is taken in Ireland I guess the're either to or from France. The're might be a case for using Cobh or Derry port rather than sending a troopship closer to the u-boats than necessary. All speculation. Any clues on the back?

Notes in the catalogue say Blank Postcard

Deirge Del Deirge, you say Doheny is typically Irish, yet there are only 10 Dohneys in the 1901 census and 5 in the 1911 census. Perhaps at the time of this postcard there were more Dohneys in the USA than Ireland? Niall McAuley

National Library of Ireland on The Commons I'm only a guessing Doheny looks like it might be an Irish surname, it sort of rolls off the tongue. A possibly more fruitful approach might be searching American serviceman records but that's not my area of expertise, I don't have a clue where to start or find the relevant database, or how to get access. For the UK www.archives.gov/research/genealogy/wwi would be a start point ... I don't know the US equivalent though I see a few wanting my dollars.

314 Dohenys, in 1911, a more common spelling/version of the name in Ireland.