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
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| 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
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| 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
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| 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
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
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| NMMC's representation of Elizabeth Ford |
44. Marines named the Model T after its donator,
but misspelled it "Elizaberth Ford" on the side of the vehicle
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
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
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| 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
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| 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
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| 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
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| 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
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| 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”
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| "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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