100 facts about the Battle of Belleau Wood in honor of the 100th Anniversery

How much do you know about the Battle of Belleau Wood? June 6, 2018 marks 100 years since the historic battle that changed the future of the United States Marine Corps. In honor of the centennial, here are 100 facts you might not know about the Battle of Belleau Wood.


1.     Belleau Wood was the first large-scale battle of World War I for the Marine Corps

2.     Belleau Wood is an area of land in Aisne, France
Map of Belleau Wood on June 6, 1918

3.     Belleau Wood is near the crossing of the Marne River at Chateau-Thierry 
  
4.     Belleau Wood was originally a hunting preserve for the rich members of society and the Comte de Beaucaron

5.     Belleau Wood, for which the battle was named, was about one acre of land

6.     Belleau Wood is less than 50 miles from Paris

7.     Belleau Wood is the closest German soldiers ever got to Paris

8.     Before Belleau Wood, the Marine Corps was a small force generally relegated to small operations, landing parties and ship detachments

9.     During Belleau Wood the Commandant of the Marine Corps during Belleau Wood was General George Barnett

10.  When the U.S. joined the war, General Barnett insisted Marines be part of one of the first groups to go into combat with the American Expeditionary Forces which led them to be the fighting force at Belleau Wood 
General John J. Pershing
11.   General John J. Pershing commanded the American Expeditionary Forces during Belleau Wood

12. It's been said that General Pershing did not want Marines to be part of his force 

13. After Belleau Wood, General Pershing said, “The deadliest weapon in the world is a marine and his rifle.”

14.  Belleau Wood wa not just a battle, it was a full-fledged campaign

15.  Army General James G. Harbord led the 4th Brigade (Marines) at Belleau Wood

16.  Colonel Albertus W. Catlin commanded the 6th Marines during Belleau Wood

17.  Major John Hughes commanded the 1st Battalion, 6th Marines during Belleau Wood

18.  Future Commandant Major Thomas Holcomb commanded the 2nd Battalion, 6th Marines at Belleau Wood
 
19.  Major Benjamin Berry commanded the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines at Belleau Wood

20.  Major Berton W. Sibley commanded the 3rd Battalion, 6th marines at Belleau Wood

21.  Major Julius Turill commanded the 1st Battalion, 5th Marines at Belleau Wood

22.  Major Frederick Wise commanded the 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines at Belleau Wood

23.  Major Maurice Shearer commanded the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines at the end of Belleau Wood

24.  The Battle of Belleau Wood included six attacks by American forces

25.  The Battle of Belleau Wood occurred during the German Spring Offensive

26.  Before the first attack on Belleau Wood, General Harbord hoped the first strike would be a surprise as two intelligence officers brought back intel that the Germans were digging in rather than preparing for an offensive

27.  The first attack on Belleau Wood was launched at 5 p.m. on June 6, 1918.

28.  Although General Harbord had hoped the 5 p.m. attack would be a surprise, the Germans were well informed and prepared for the strike

29.   German machine gun fire, artillery and gas attacks were some of the biggest enemies of Marines at Belleau Wood

30.   The maxim gun was nicknamed “The Devil’s Paintbrush” at Belleau Wood
Marines at Belleau Wood

31.  On the first day of battle, Colonel Catlin, Major Berry and three other company commanders were wounded and Captain Duncan, commander of the 96th company, was killed — this forced junior officers and staff Non-commissioned officers to take leadership positions

32.  More Marines died on June 6 during the Battle of Belleau Wood than had in all of the previous conflicts combined

33.  The Marines at Belleau Wood were very low on food, water, ammunition and weapons as the battle progressed, and often had to scavenge for them


34.  Several types of gas were used at Belleau Wood including mustard gas



35.  Troops at Belleau Wood had gas masks, but they were often ineffective



36.  The largest gas attack during Belleau Wood occurred on June 13 and 14.

37.  One of the weapons used at Belleau Wood was the Springfield Rifle

38.  One of the weapons used at Belleau Wood was Chauchat automatic rifles 

39.  One of the weapons used at Belleau Wood was the Hotchkiss machine gun

40.  Only the Marines’ rifles and pistols were American-made, all other weaponry came from France

41.  There was a shortage of grenades on the allied side of Belleau Wood

42.  The American Expeditionary Forces was the first motorized American military force 

Image result for tin lizzy national museum of the marine corps
NMMC's representation of Elizabeth Ford 
43. The most famous motorized vehicle associated with Belleau wood is "Elizabeth Ford," a Model T truck that was donated to the 6th Marines by Elizabeth Pearce 

44. Marines named the Model T after its donator, 
      but misspelled it "Elizaberth Ford" on the side of the vehicle 

45.   Second Lieutenant William Moore and Major
       John H. Quick both received the Navy Cross 
       for actions using the Model T to get supplies to Marines at Belleau Wood

46.  The Marines’ marksmanship is considered one of the turning points of the battle

47.  Often throughout the battle, the Marines resorted to fighting hand to hand with their bayonets and knives
Marines at Belleau Wood


48.  The first attack on Belleau Wood where the allied forces had adequate artillery support wasn’t until June 9

49.  The Battle of Belleau Wood lasted for 26 days

50.  There were more than 4,600 casualties at Belleau Wood

51.More than 1,000 German prisoners were taken at Belleau Wood

52.   There are 1,060 MIA soldiers from Belleau Wood

53.  More than 1,000 Marines died at Belleau Wood

54.  Floyd Gibbons, an embedded journalist with the Chicago Tribune, witnessed the June 6 action of the Battle of Belleau Wood
 
Floyd Gibbons
55.  Gibbons lost his eye to machine gun fire and was evacuated to a hospital in Paris

56.  Assumed dead, Gibbons’ uncensored account of the battle was released to the media, putting the Marines on the front page of the Chicago Tribune

57.  One of the headlines that circulated following Gibbons’ published account was U.S Marines SMASH HUNS!”

58.  After Gibbons’ account was published, Marine recruitment skyrocketed

59.  Gunnery Sgt. Fred W. Stockham received the Medal of Honor for actions in Belleau Wood

60.  Gunnery Sgt. Stockham received the Medal of Honor for removing his own gas mask when he saw a wounded comrade had lost his. Knowing the toxic gas would kill him, Gunnery Sgt. Stockham gave his comrade his mask and continued evacuating other wounded Marines.

61.  Sgt. Major John Quick, who received the Medal of Honor in Cuba, received the Navy Cross for valor the first night of Belleau Wood

62.  Sgt. Dan Daly, who had already received two Medals of Honor, was the First Sergeant of the 73rd Machine Gun Company at Belleau Wood
Sergeant Dan Daly


63.  Sgt. Daly received the Navy Cross for his actions at Belleau Wood

64.  The famous quote attributed to Sergeant Dan Daly “Come on you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?” came from Belleau Wood

65.  The famous quote attributed to Captain Lloyd Williams “Retreat? Hell we just got here!” came from Belleau Wood

66.  The 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines use a shortened version of the quote “retreat, hell we just got here!” which comes from Belleau Wood, as its motto

67.  Major Maurice E. Shearer of the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines is credited with the quote “Woods now United States Marines, entirely” when reporting success at Belleau Wood

68.  Major Shearer was awarded the Navy Cross for valor at Belleau Wood

69.  Lieutenant Joel T. Boone, a surgeon with the 6th Marines, called Belleau Wood “a perfect inferno” after the first day of fighting

70.  Major Holcomb of the 2nd Battalion, 6th Marines has been cited as saying “When I do my running, it’ll be in the opposite direction,” when asked if the Marines were retreating

71.  Belleau Wood is considered the birth of the modern Marines

72.   After Belleau Wood a rumor spread that the Marines had saved Paris

73.  The nickname “Devil Dogs” became synonymous with Marines after Belleau Wood
Recruitment poster based on"Devil Dog" nickname


74.  Marines who fought with the American Expeditionary Forces, like the Marines at Belleau Wood, were often called “doughboys”

75.  The doughboy nickname was given to the infantry members by cavalry soldiers

76.  The 1st Battalion, 5th Marines earned the nickname “The Fighting Fifth” for their actions at Belleau Wood and other World War I conflicts
 
77.   It has been speculated that the term “foxholes” was coined at Belleau Wood

78.  The July 4th after Belleau Wood, the French held a parade in honor of American soldiers

79.  In 1918, the Commanding General of the French 6th Army officially renamed Belleau Wood as Bois de la Brigade de Marine” — “Wood of the Marine Brigade”

80.  Belleau Wood was established as an American battle monument in 1923.

81.  Five of the 4th Brigade Marines who fought at Belleau Wood became commandants

 All three of the division commanders at Iwo Jima in World War II were Belleau Wood veterans
82.  Future Commandant Clifton B. Cates fought in Belleau Wood, and was awarded the Navy Cross for his bravery in the battle

83.  Future Commandant Lemuel Shepherd fought at Belleau Wood

84.  Future Assistant Commandant Gerald C. Thomas fought at Belleau Wood

85.   Since Belleau Wood, Marines actively serving in the 5th and 6th Marines wear the fourragere, a French military award, on the left shoulder of their uniforms

86.  There are two U.S. Navy vessels named for Belleau Wood

87.  There is a song called “The Marines at Belleau Wood” written by Taylor Branson and dedicated to General James G. Harbord

88.  Shrapnel and unexploded ordnance can still be found in the ground at Belleau Wood

Aisn-Marne American Cemetary
89.  There is a cemetery in Belleau Wood dedicated to American military members called “Aisne-Marne American Cemetery”

90.  The Aisne-Marne American Cemetery was dedicated in 1937

91.  Lemuel C. Shepard, who fought at Belleau Wood, officiated the dedication of the Belleau Wood Memorial as the Commandant of the Marine Corps

92.   2,289 American soldiers are buried at the Aisne-Marne Cemetery

93.  Of the 2,289 Americans buried at Aisne Marne American Cemetery and Memorial, 474 of them are Marines

94.  There is an “Iron Mike” statue at the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery

95.  There is a monument named “The Marine Memorial” at Belleau Wood that was built in 1955

96.  In 1953, current members of the 5th Marines gave donations for a plaque at Belleau Wood — which funded the memorial statue that now stands there. The memorial was dedicated in 1955.

97.  After Belleau Wood, Marines named a fountain shaped like a dog on an estate near Belleau Wood “Devil Dog Fountain” 
"Devil Dog Fountain"


98.  Modern Marines consider Devil Dog Fountain a pilgrimage site and often drink from it to honor the spirit of the Marines at Belleau Wood.

 
99.   In honor of the 100th anniversary of the battle, French president Emmanuel Macron recently     re-planted a tree from Belleau Wood at the White House with President Trump.

100.   The National Museum of the Marine Corps will host two full days of activities to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the battle of Belleau Wood on June 6 and June 9. For more info, visit: www.usmcmuseum.com/calender-of-events.html



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