Remembering Belleau Wood

Remembering Belleau Wood
Posted By Blackfive

"Retreat, Hell! We just got here!" - Captain Lloyd Williams, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines, June 1918, in response to the French forces request to retreat.


One can argue that there are more than a few pivotal moments for the Marine Corps. President Harry Truman was going to disband them, then the Korean War happened and the Marines and a Marine among Marines by the name of Chesty Puller changed his opinion.

And, of course, there is the Battle of Belleau Wood.

Staff Sergeant Will Price recounts the battle and writes of the 88th anniversary:

Remembering the Battle of Belleau Wood

...With little to no cover, Marines maneuvered through an 800-yard wide-open wheat field, trying to reach the heavily entrenched German soldiers. The Marines began their advance with unwavering courage and the use of precision long-distance marksmanship. According to Gilles Lagin, a Belleau Wood historian, the Germans were familiar with British snipers, but the Marines’ ability to hit a target from more than 500 yards away stunned them so badly they believed there was an entire regiment of Marine snipers attacking...

Ellie