Remembering the Heroic Campaign

On Veteran’s Day ask someone what U.S. military campaign began on September 26, 1918 and what did it achieve.

The answer is the Meuse-Argonne offensive in France in which the U.S. led the Allies to victory over Germany in World War One. This was a big military mission. Over a million U.S. soldiers were part of the offensive. Imagine the incredible work to prepare for this large campaign on short notice.

The fighting began very early in the morning of September 26, 1918 with artillery bombardments. U.S. soldiers then bravely tried to take ground from the German army who had been occupying France for years. There was fierce fighting on difficult terrain, including the large and mountainous Argonne Forest of Northeast France.

As intense as the fighting was, there was no quick victory. The campaign lasted until November 11, 1918 when the Armistice with Germany was signed, ending the fighting of World War One. That is what became Armistice Day or now known as Veteran’s Day. The Treaty of Versailles was later negotiated officially ending the war.

It was the courage and relentlessness of the U.S. soldiers who brought on the Armistice by defeating their German foes in battle after battle.

The U.S. soldiers, called the American Expeditionary Forces, pushed back the Germany army causing its demise. General John J. Pershing, who led U.S. and Allied forces in WWI, wrote “by the end of October … the almost impassable Argonne Forest was in our hands. Every member of the American Expeditionary Forces, from the front line to the base ports, was straining every nerve.”

The Meuse-Argonne was one of the bloodiest military campaigns the United States has ever fought. There were 350,000 casualties. That may seem just a number to us. But behind each number is a story of heroism and anguish. My great uncle, Ira Pitzer, was killed in action in this campaign just eight days before the Armistice.

Many of the soldiers did not even have a high school education but took on the challenge of organizing a military offensive that required incredible logistics as well as bravery. A young officer, General George C. Marshall, took the lead on the incredible effort to get men, weapons and supplies in place for the Meuse-Argonne campaign.

The Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery and Memorial is located near the village of Romagne-sous-Montfaucon in France. We should never forget those who remain there and what they represent.

The U.S. and allies fought in the hopes of ending the most brutal conflict in world history at the time, World War One (aka The Great War or War to End All Wars). They achieved the goal of ending the war. But the soldiers also fought to achieve a lasting peace. No more wars was the great hope. That goal has not been achieved yet. It is up to us now to see it through.

What many of the soldiers did after the war was advocate for peace. Some became members of the American Relief Administration and worked to feed the hungry in the war-torn nations. World War One put many nations in danger of famine as conflict always does.

Let’s be inspired by the bravery and humanitarianism of the soldiers in the Meuse-Argonne offensive and WWI. Let’s continue to pursue the peace they hoped and deserved to achieve.

William Lambers is the author of The Road to Peace and partnered with the UN World Food Program on the book Ending World Hunger. His writings have been published by the NY Times, Cleveland Plain Dealer, Newsweek, History News Network and many other news outlets.