June 6, 1918 - The Marines’ Bloody Charge at Belleau Wood

[red-beard]

100 years ago today

Exclusive--Patrick K. O'Donnell: The Unknown D-Day; The Marines' Bloody Charge at Belleau Wood, June 6, 1918 | Breitbart

Many Americans know that June 6 is the anniversary of World War II’s D-Day, the date when the United States invaded the beaches of Normandy in hopes of saving Europe from Hitler.
But far fewer know that June 6 is also the anniversary of another epic American battle that took place on French soil. One hundred years ago, during World War I, U.S. Marines attacked the German forces at Belleau Wood in order to save Paris and halt the Kaiser’s offensive. June 6, 1918, became the bloodiest day in the Corps’ history to that point, and Belleau Wood became an integral part of Marine lore.

Today, most Americans are blissfully unaware of what happened at Belleau Wood. However, the French citizens who live near the battleground don’t have that luxury. There, the Great War remains forever trapped in time. Cratered shell holes so large they could hold a small house dot the landscape. Ghostly depressions, remnants of trenches where men fought hand to hand to the death with knives, clubs, pistols, and bayonets crisscross the land. Artillery shells, still bearing deadly mustard gas, lie entombed in dense hardwood that swallowed them a century ago.

[kevin993]

Thanks for posting. Had the privilege of visiting and walking through the woods and cemetery a few years ago. Very humbling. Large attachments involved there.

[tabs]

Back in the day I bought a pair of WW1 German binoculars from Saddleback Valley Guns for $75 that were taken from a dead German artillery man by a US Marine named Zimmerman of the 4Th Marines. Inside the rim of the Binocular case it is inscribed Zimmerman 4Th Marines regt AEF Coblentz, Germany 1919. On the outside of the case you can still see a bloody palm print as if the man was moving out of his way.

The story is that Zimmerman died of influenza in Germany in 1919, before he died he gave the binoculars to his friend Darnell to give to his wife when he returned home. Darnell tried to give them to the wife but she refused them, so Darnell kept them for the rest of his life. It was his now elderly son that sold them to the guns shop.

I also have a German Mauser GEW 98 with a 1916 chamber date (all matching numbers) that is inscribed with a US Doughboys named Borglund ? 26th div, Meuse Argonne October 16th 1918. This was a WW1 bring back. Very clean.

Also a Mauser Kar 98 AZ dated 1918 that is matching numbers. This one has EWB cartouch in the stock which denotes a Bavarian Freikorps unit of the 1920's. Hitlers comrade in arms Ernest Rohme supplied weapons to the Freikorps units in Bavaria which later morphed into the Brown Shirts and SS. This one because it is in such clean condition never saw front line service in either war and was probably liberated by a US GI at the end of WW2.

Further I have a US Springfield 1903 National Match 1921 type that belonged to a US WW1 vet (Mothrock who is mentioned in his Div history). This one is in nearly mint unaltered condition and was consigned by the vets family along with other WW1 memorabilia as it didn't mean anything to them anymore. It probably belonged to the vets son or grandson and when he died the meaningful attachment was gone. I looked for years to find a clean unmolested interwar years 1903, and it being a NM is well quite a spectacular find.

[Tobra]

That was the name of my ship, so I am familiar with the story. Don't know that I had ever heard of Belleau Wood until I got my orders.