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 BattleMonuments 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.