On september 12th, 19, 18 the American Expeditionary force launched their First Independent operation of world war i. We travel to northeastern france to visit a few locations and learn about a battle in a town just inside of bulge that the germans had occupied since 1914. To begin the story, here is a portion of a 1960 u. S. Army film that gives a brief sketch of the operation. In late july, 1918, pushing created the First United States Army under his command. Immediate steps were taken to concentrate American Forces on one point on the line. That point was saintmihiel. Had held a since early in the war penetrating the allied lines, 60 miles it enabled that enemy to harass operations. More than half 1 million first army troops assembled for the task to crushing it out of existence. 15 divisions were moved into division. By the end of the day, on september 11th, 1918, the first army was ready for its First Independent operation against the enemy. At dawn on the 12th, drizzling rain, the attack was launched. [explosions] for the enemy, saintmihiel was an unpleasant surprise, it was obliterated within four days. Americans were deployed. They considered the victory a Birthday Gift to him on september 13th, in a statement to the man he said, the striking victory probably has done more than any single operation in the war to encourage the tired allies. This coral commemorates the saintmihiel by the american first army. We are standing at the monsec memorial to commemorate this offensive. It was the first major battle by the americans as an independent force. It occurred from september 12th through to september 16, 1918. The battle itself strategically helped drive the germans from this area where they have been well entrenched since september of 1914. They created a bulge in the line which was known as the salient. The attack was extremely important to gen. John j. Pershing, he had his sights set since gen. John j. Pershing he first brought his americans over in the early summer of 1917. But it wasnt until more than a year later when he had enough forces to actually launch this attack. The organization of the attack began in august of 1918. That is when the general for the First Tactical unit independent of the french and british forces. Gen. John j. Pershing met with the commander of the allied forces he originally agreed to this but as he had started to plan a major offensive, he saw taking place in september of 1918, which would involve all of the armys on the western front. He wanted to pursuing to relinquish the attack or reduce it. He was livid, he went out in a number of meetings. Finally the two of them compromised, there would be a reduced attack, the attack was set to take place on september 12th, 1918. However the major offensive was scheduled for two weeks later. This meant that as soon as pershing fought this operation he would have to turn around and get ready to fight a much larger operation less than two weeks later. Charged with planning of the saintmihiel attack was george c marshall. He sat down with a stack of maps and created the operational orders. Ultimately, 550,000 american troops launched the attack on september 12th, for hours preceding the infantry were more than 3000 french guns manned by both french and american gunners, they fired at the german positions including where we are standing which is the high ground. In front of me is a map created by the American Battle Monuments Commission when they established this entire monument here to commemorate the american offensive. It started again in the Early Morning hours of september 12th, and you can follow the american advance. Directly in front of me is the monument we are standing on. The americans swept through their, drove the germans from high ground and continued further north. To the right is a swampy area that is called the plain of the wharf, it was a flooded area that had actually seen American Fighting back in april of 1918, involving the 26 division from the new england area. In front of me are these red lines, zigzag, those are french trenches the americans used for their jump off. It should be noted that, the americans largely did not fight behind trenches. In this case the americans took over the trenches from the french. The french have been trying to attack since 1914, several major offense is in the area had failed. The americans use these trenches, you could see the zigzag pattern which is typical of a world war one trench. That way they were less of a target for artillery. They jumped off early in the morning of september 12th and followed that northward advance, pushing through one village after another. By the end of the 13th, they had occupied most of the saintmihiel, germans who had withdrawn stopped in fought. Fighting continued through to somber 16th. By that point the americans have been successful. And they probably could have gone on further, where the germans head coal fields and minds that they used, but the battle plan set for them to stop once the objectives because now they had to fight the larger offensive. Also in the battle for more than 1400 aircrafts. The largest concentration of planes during the war. The americans flew many of them but also they included french pilots, british pilots, and italian pilots. Billy mitchell who was promoted to Brigadier General would lead the air attack in this area. With the attack launched with, pershing and no one else had any idea what type of success the americans would have, since this was their socalled baptism of fire. But the attack could not have gone off more beautifully. The weather was horrible, it was raining, it was chilly. The americans launch the attack heading north in this direction of where we are standing. Unbeknownst to them, the germans who would occupied this whole salient, had begun to withdraw and they were starting to move their troops but they didnt move them quickly mouth. By the end of the day on the 12th, the americans reached not only the main objectives for that but many of the objectives for the following day. So by bad morning on september 13th, the whole salient had been liberated. There was fighting that went on through the 16th. It was also the 13th of september that pershing turned 58 years old. When use of the Great American victory reached the newspapers, he was touted as a Great American hero. Headlines around the world talked about pershing the great liberator. The french people were ecstatic. Many of them had to flee their homes in the villages that make up the saintmihiel salient and lived in barrs, sellers, outside with very little electricity. They had very little food, many lived by candlelight. Now they were free. You can see by the images that the civilians were now allowed to come back to their homes. Many of them had not seen them for the past three years. Now americas soldiers were moving to the beat of history, because they had fought so decisively as an integrated american force, they are moving in the long tradition of their country, a tradition stretching back across your town, through the fields of gettysburg, up the rugged slopes of san juan hill. The man who had welded them into this integrated force had made his own mark on the history of his times. As a tactician, pershing was proving himself superb. To the men who knew him best, he was no myth. The battle was his and theres. He had confidence in them and they gave him their trust and respect. We are looking north from the high ground to the whole saintmihiel salient, it was important that americans take months expert because the germans were in raged and had they got around and try to liberate the villages first they wouldve been decimated by german artillery and machine gun fire so once montsec was taken it was a rapid production. Looking ahead north is a village of hattonchatel, which was conquered by the 26th division, a new england division, made up of troops made from connecticut and massachusetts and maine. I am standing in the village of hattonchatel four, the rule it is need muscular is because she was a wealthy socialite from massachusetts who took to heart this village that had been destroyed by the germans. The germans had occupied it for four years since 1914 and it was liberated by the american 26 division, that was made up of National Guard units from new england, including massachusetts where she grew up. She was a graduate of vaster college, she was the class president. Her family owned textile company with the name of skinner. She had a passion for france, she came over here before the war, and during the war and then came back in 1919. That is when she discovered this village and that it was destroyed. She decided she needed to help out, she raised money, gave some of her own money, including close to the citizens who had to move back here after the war in a decimated conditions. But she helped rebuild the village, including the school that im standing in front of. Plus she set up a wash basin in town so that citizens could clean their clothes. I am now walking through the school, and to my left here is a plaque honoring miss skinner. Of course it says, she was called the godmother because she took care of the citizens of the village after the war. She was so concerned about where they were inhabiting. Walking into the court yard, you get it view of the whole saintmihiel salient as it was known during the war, directly in front of me is the montsec monument, we are west of the monument. That was placed by the american montsec american monument commission, to commemorate this village and many others like it. Beginning on september 12th of 1980. As americans hidden this direction they liberated villages one by one, as the germans flood. Eventually the 26th division, then you englanders reached where the germans had left but they were still fighting in and around the village. Much of it left totally in ruins including this home that im standing in where she would spend her own money to rededicate and rebuild after the war. Youre looking at a chateau that have been ruined during the war, came to help restore the village she also bought and restored the chateau. She lived here for many years. Well would die in 1928 in paris. You are looking at the ruins of a chateau here in the village of right in the heart. Early on september 12th, the Second Division rainbow had jumped off, and like the other american divisions was a rapid advance clearing out the villages as the germans fled. Major William Donovan also known as wild bill was a Battalion Commander in the Rainbow Division. Later on we know him best as the office of Strategic Forces in world war ii. During world war i he was in the thick of the fighting here, when he reached the village he came upon the chateau and this is where he established his headquarters. He would later write about what his experience was here. Coming to the chateau. Behind the manner, house which you see behind me, if you see a cache of porcelain, furniture, in the courtyard. Apparently germans were unable to carry it as they fled. Donovan headed towards the village where he encountered as he said poor people, for four years had been with the germans. The one i ate with on the night of the 12 had not been out of sight of the dormant for years. Every night after she prepared the meals for officers guests she retired her stellar. The night after she felt as she put on her best skirt and went out to visit her neighbors for the first time in four years. The chateau now is in horrible disarray, but during the war when lifted by the germans it was one of the most elaborate residences in this region. You can see from the photographs placed in front of the chateau, at one time the matter house was beautifully and elaborately decorated. Father Francis Duffey who of course was a chaplain with the 44th division you donovan very well, and he described him as a man in his middle thirties very attractive in his face and banner. The athlete always kept himself and perfect decision. After the battle, the 42nd division would play a significant role during the leader defensive, in fact in the middle of october the Rainbow Division during the operation was tasked with taking one of the more difficult positions at the crime hall stolen. A major defensive line that was part of the crime bergdorf line. The battle with us for three days and many of the soldiers in donovans battalion would either be severely wounded, or killed over the three days of fighting. Donovan would be the recipient of the middle of honor a number of years after world war one ended. A few miles from the monument, the cemetery is the final resting place for over 4000 americans who died in the region in 1918 1919. We visited the cemetery with a historian to talk to superintendent, jeffrey, haines the u. S. Government employee who manages the cemetery and the monument. Are we actually on part of the battlefield . We are actually in the very middle of the whole battlefield. Behind, you the 89th division came to us and actually salted across the cemetery on the afternoon of the 12th of september, that floodgate is where the 88 division for the night. On the next, morning the morning of the 13th they continued the salt going in the north. We are actually on the land that they thought. On fear here on the 12th of september in 1918 and looked west you would actually be looking at the 42nd division. If you looked eastwood be looking over at the Second Division. So in this area right here, it was definitely in the middle of the whole battlefield men crossed this area and then started their dance, left were at the front gate is at. 4153 soldiers lead here, they were buried here. Its basically a cemetery that was built, started after the war was over. Its basically a concentration cemetery so with the soldiers actually did was we had soldiers in an area round here from about ten kilometers south, ten kilometers west, east, who actually did sweeps over the territory. Sweeps over the area looking for our dead. When they would find our dad they would bring them here in the cemetery here. That is how the secretary started. It was actually laid out march of 1918 and the first men and women were buried in march of 1918. Thats the same combination of the time when the letters are going home to the families asking them where they want the prominently buried. Oh that was conjunction. There was the period of time that created the temporary cemetery. If you look behind, me that area were plot because that, that is actually to the left of where the temporary cemeteries first created. Then after the families get to choose where the soldiers would be buried, that is when all the soldiers were put in the caskets. 65 roughly were taken back to the end of. States and the rest were buried here. During the Registration Period the soldiers were out here. We called the atm seat for short, is the smallest entity of the u. S. Federal government. So everything that you see it here is paid for by the u. S. Taxpayer. It started in 1923. Its kind of a complicated story, but the reason was not called the American Battleground Cemeteries Association administration is that we actually started to create monuments for the such as the fountain world war i. Cemeteries came under us at a later date, whos gonna look after, them it kind of came under us and it will get into what we are today, looking after the cemeteries. The general is basically the father of the organization. He is the man whos handprint, whose fingerprints are still here today. He put down a lot of rules and regulations that we still abide by today that control what we do. Like one of the things was, if you notice when you walk into a cemetery there is no segregation. Theres no separation between males and females. Theres no segregation of ranks. Everyone is based in the cemetery. He didnt allow any difference for having a plot for officers, or a plot for African American soldiers, he did allow for the separation and thats how with the pardons we get the additional lot of how are the officers, we are at the, women where the women . Theyre out there with everyone. Else they are spread out. His footprint is. There and plus when we created the cemeteries he was the final yes or no if something worked. So you documents. We have a plan that actually tells us where all the trees have to go. Every single trees marked on this plan. And to make sure that youre looking at the proper planning plan look at the top corner and you will actually see the president signature. The person signature is there, thats the golden rule. We do not violate that plan. So thats what we look for. So a, especially world war i because and work in world war ii, that is the role. So his, print his name is something that we go by. Every day theres a discussion in the cemetery when a tree dies, go to the plant. Something we discuss if a wall is coming, apart we refer to the person putting the. Plants we look for his team and thats when we look for. The cemetery, from what we understand was actually purchase by the u. S. Government for breach of tackles land which is where the cemetery supposed to be at today. This government purchase that from the homeowners. They saw the back to the french government for one front. Frank thank you my property. The ground is actually french own territory. Thats actually one of the most numbers. The ground is actually owned by the french government. But everything thats on the ground, the soldiers of the ground is of but the u. S. Government. So this is an interesting perspective to look at it in the context that if the u. S. Government ever chose to going back to the United States the land goes back to the french instantaneously, it goes back to them. But all the buildings that you see here and everything thats, here the cross and everything are owned by the u. S. Government. Its kind of that interesting agreement that we made, and the french made for us so that we could have these beautiful historic locations for these men to rest peacefully. When we were created, one of the reasons we will criticize the military units at this time credited monuments. The monuments spread all over the battlefields. These individual monuments being put up, the middle of farmers fields and to control that erroneous placement of monuments. So we are in charge of putting up large monuments to remember a army or a large, action or large event like the battle of samuel, the battle of mr. Gone. In that instance nobody from the minute states have the permission to put up a monument anywhere. The law was passed. Stop. You cant do this anymore. Earlier question was a person has a very strong control over what is going on in the cemetery. He actually was expecting a monument, another piece of artwork that we have the similar terry and looked at the very back of the studio and saw a giant cross with a dubois standing behind it. He talked to the artist and said what is that. Theres a discussion back and forth about what it was. He said i putting this up where the brother of one of the soldiers buried in the territory once it buried where her son died. The pressure said no you. Not the discussions today with the wealth of the soldier. He basically put his foot down and said youre not putting the monument up. They started the conversation work we do with this artwork. Where can we put it up. Were gonna put the artwork up inside the cemetery where years and is buried. The differences it cant look exactly like her son. It cant be a replica of recent you notice it is eight officer. So it does have the same features of his son being officer, and was donated by her to the cemetery, and eventually rights resigned over to us. This is the only piece of artwork donated and created by a outside family, given to the organization. All the other pieces were created by the abc. If we go over here i want to show you where her son is buried. This is where her son was buried. The conversation went on like this. When you come into the cemeteries which have to remember is that what you see todays not the way it looked the 1920s. The trees were. Tier other architectural features didnt exist. The mother, asked she wanted her son very next to the flag. In that period, 1920, one 90 20, to 2020 through the flagpole set where the eagle was at. We did that. She buried her son near to the flagpole. But we came through in late 1920, eight 1930s and restructured the cemetery we move the five poles to the back of this material, this is where her son was buried. 45 of the berry so that were buried here died of the defensive. Outside of that the troops trained in the command south of here, south, all the way to the swiss border. They trained of the french commences soldiers were getting killed. Soldiers were dying in accidents. Soldiers were getting killed turning on the front lines. They were buried in temporary cemeteries. Afterwards, families decide where they would be buried. So that mix along with soldiers who died after the war was over, the war from influenza, spanish flu is were killed a lot of the soldiers in 1990 and afterwards. They all had the same right to die here because they died for the country, they just happen to die of disease. Some of soldiers that died of other kind of diseases that today you take a pill and you get cured from. They died from it in 1918 1919. So it is a mix of that. People always ask who was the first person buried . Here is the last person buried here . I cant tell you the first person was but i can tell me tell you the last person was. So 19, 70 the farmer was cleaning out a pond in his house about six kilometers street behind me. And while he was cleaning out this pond he came across human remains. He started digging around it didnt take long to realize it was actually a soldier. So all everyone knows around here, if you find remains and it looks like a soldier, you stop because they know its probably someone from world war i. So he got a hold of the local mayor, they came over and finished a distant tournament of the area and collected all the remains, collected the identification they could find, the buttons, we call the meal card today and his dog takes for their. They put all this in the Mayors Office and they drove over to the Superintendents Office and said, i think we found one of your soldiers. The next phone call in 1970, the Mortuary Affairs comes out, did the rest of the disinterest and collected more remains, went into the Mayors Office and did get the actual remains and they did and i did creation believe fast because he had dug tanks and his i. D. Card. We figured out who he was. Shortly after that, the family was contacted and asked where would they would like their loved one buried. The family said, they wanted him to stay there. So 1970 fun, we had full military funeral for howard hell. If you look at the base of his cross, hell see the double zero. Its because the cemetery was full, it was completed that time, and the family wanted him buried here. So we added this space insights, outside of the row, and thats why he is not one through 21, hes actually double zero. And thats why he was buried here in 1971. Full military funeral just like everyone gets today. We put up these markers, we have seven of them and we have it in english, and a description in french because most of our visitors are either english or french, and it really brief synopsis of what happened to him and why hes there. If you notice here, it says his name, and it says his location in the cemetery. Because he also has his name on a wall as missing. This is the memorial chapel, in the olden times it is referred to as a museum, that was the original term, museum. On the left to have the chapel. After the war, the families got to choose, we have the soldiers that were taken back to the United States, roughly 65 and the majority of them were buried in our cemetery. But if we did not find a soldiers remains, we did not want to forget the, we want to remember them somewhere. When we go in here, youll notice the walls missing so we did not forget them. This design is unique, none of the other cemeteries have the dough boy as the handle. We are the only one. And it is probably the most photographed architectural feature in the whole cemetery. Everyone takes pictures of the duboiss, it is very unique. These doors are braun stores, they were put up in 1932 and they work phenomenally. They are heavy but little kids can open them up. They work magnificently, never been replaced and they used to be a bit deceptive cause you have the curve of the wall, the doors are curved also. When you can see the doors were curved, you they were cast to fit the curve of the wall. Its a beautiful piece of architecture. Every one of the cemeteries as a battle map, this is a battle map. You can see the cities, how big this battlefield was. When you look at the map, you can see the 42nd, 89th, second, fifth, ninetieths, 82nd, each one of those conceptually is about 25,000 soldiers, along with the 26th up in the far western flank. This is called the southern flank and thats the western flank. That is how many men are out here. There was about hot 550,000 american soldiers. This map is you can come in and gave an idea of the battle, you can see montsec, you could see where somebody from a particular division was at. Thats why we have these battle maps. This is a beautiful peeps of architecture to actually cut these out, to get the lakes and rivers and everything perfect. This is an artist who did his work here. But when you look behind me to the other two walls, these are the walls of the missing. These are the soldiers that disappeared on the battlefield, it does not mean that they are an unknown in the cemetery, they could be, but they are gone. We just dont know. To make sure we didnt forget them we put up the walls of the missing. When you look at whatever walls of the missing you will see this little rose it. That means he is no longer missing. That is how we signify to the world but this guy, captain wells is no longer missing is because we marked him. When you look around here you will see those ten rosettes, you also will see howard, the same soldier we just visited in the cemetery. You can also look at a lot of the divisions, you will see similar dates, he will see a lot of the divisions will be september 12th to september 16th. Most of their soldiers went missing in that period. Thats when they were fighting there. We might see on another date when their training on the frontlines with the french, you might even see them up to november 11th. Youll see different soldiers went missing during that time. A lot of them you will see their division and youll see them grouped together on a specific date, because their lives were all lost at one time in the battlefield. We do have next of kin that come and visit them. Because thats all the families have. Thats the only thing we have to remember. Talking about the story with the heil family, the piece of artwork that pershing was looking at was this. This is what he was actually expecting. It is basically the concept that it is an urn and is taking missiles to heaven. Thats why we are in the middle between the chapel, the museum, this piece of artwork is here. It is a piece to show all the souls went to heaven, they paid the final price and they can go now. But if you look behind us you can see montsec, during the battle, if you could see it the germans could see you. Thats where the monument is at the top of montsec. The cemetery and architectural features were put in place to give us that gap so you could actually still see montsec from the cemetery, that was all purposely laid out and designed. This is the memorial chapel. These are one of the things that happen that i wish i had an answer. We understand that this mosaic was created in the united status by an artist and then transported here and put on the wall by french artist. How that physically happened, i do not have the answer. I wish i had the answer to it, but i do not know. What you are looking at there is an angel sheet in the sword because for these men and the battle is over and she could rest in peace, that is where the sort is being sheet. Everything you are seeing at the cemetery has some sort of symbolism. The french and american flags are facing each other to show the french and americans fought sidebyside. Everything in this room has been here since 193334, except for a few minor changes. Like a plastic sign or the tablets of moses, Everything Else is original. That goes back to the idea of pershing. When he signed off on it, you did not change it. Everything has been here since 193334. Ive been told that its never been damaged, it is basically in its original view. The pieces dont fall off, its like a magnificent piece of artwork, it is beautiful. We can never forget when someone gives his life for us or our country, we cannot forget. These men died for us. They died for france and for the rest of humanity, the american soldier is still doing it today. He is fighting for everyone else around him to give them freedom. Thats what soldiers did, they died trying to give france back their freedom. All i can say is this, i never had american tell me this was a waste of money. Ive had americans tell me, this is what they want to see their taxpayer money go to. None of these men and women got to go home, walk their daughter down the aisle, see their son get married, or sit in a lounge chair or something on the front porch and of old age. These people to do this. They died at a young age for their brothers and sisters around them. They died and when they died, they gave her life to someone else. Lets not forget them. We cant forget them. President Woodrow Wilson placed memorabilia box in the amphitheater at Arlington National cemetery. 105 years later, in april 2020, the box was carefully removed to discover what was inside, next on american artifacts, we visit arlington to see the contents
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