Belleau Wood Redux

[thedrifter]

MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va. —

Marines from Quantico took part in a filmed re-enactment of the Battle of Belleau Wood from June 7 to June 12 on private property near Gordonsville, Va.

The footage will be used in the National Museum of the Marine Corp’s new World War I exhibit, scheduled to open next spring.

The new, immersion-style exhibit will feature 12 audio channels, strobe lights, video monitors, mirrors and lighting effects to help recreate the scene, said Lin Ezell, director of the National Museum of the Marine Corps.

The re-enactment was appropriately timed for the 91st anniversary of the battle where Marines repelled a German offensive in a wheat field near the Marne River in northeastern France in June 1918 during World War I.

‘BOIS DE LA BRIGADE DE MARINE’

Belleau Wood is a milestone in Marine Corps history. The 4th Marine Brigade, under the command of Army Brig. Gen. James Harbord, was charged with recapturing about one square mile of dense forest near Chateau-Thierry, France, from German troops who were advancing toward Paris as part of Germany’s “Spring Offensive.” The fighting lasted 26 days. The Germans were so well entrenched it took the Marines six times to clear the wood before it was declared secure.

The Marines had to cross open wheat fields before they could enter the forest. The Germans sprayed the advancing lines of Marines with heavy machine gun fire as they approached through the fields. Marines countered this strategy by dropping on the ground and delivering accurate, deadly rifle fire from the prone position. This instance of superb marksmanship established the Marines’ reputation as expert riflemen, leading Army Gen. John “Blackjack” Pershing, commander-in-chief of the American Expeditionary Force during World War I, to declare, “The deadliest weapon in the world is a Marine and his rifle.”

The Marines committed themselves to clearing the wood the enemy completely, inspiring both fear and reverence in their German adversaries, so much that the Germans reportedly began calling the Marines “teufel hunden” in their language, which translates into “dogs of the devil” or “devil dogs,” hence the nickname Marines use for themselves to this day.

The fighting at Belleau Wood brought an end to the last major German offensive of the war, but at no cheap cost. The Marine Corps suffered 1,087 casualties, accounting for nearly half the total of the entire war.

Belleau Wood was renamed “Bois de la Brigade de Marine,” meaning “Wood of the Marine Brigade,” after the battle to honor the Marines who retook the territory. The French government also awarded the Croix de Guerre (“Cross of War”) to the 5th and 6th Marine Regiments.

Today, Marines stationed with these units are authorized to wear the fourragère with all service and dress uniforms.
Since the end of World War I, the Battle of Belleau Wood has become an integral part of Marine Corps history and has earned a permanent place in the collective subconscious of Marines.

“One of the first questions Marines ask when they come to the museum is, ‘Where’s Belleau Wood?’” said Ezell.

BRINGING FRANCE TO VIRGINIA

Attention to detail in recreating the battle for modern audiences prompted the museum to hire military historians, uniform curators and even ordnance technicians to ensure the film accurately portrays all aspects of the fighting at Belleau Wood.

“None of the Marines wants to get this wrong,” said Sgt. John Fincannon, regional services management coordinator with Communications Electronics Division, who helped re-enact the battle.

The historical importance of the events that transpired at Belleau Wood nearly a century ago inspired many Marines to volunteer for the filming.

“We as Marines remember our past and where we come from,” said Lance Cpl. Andrew Daily of Training and Education Command. “Re-enacting the actual battle puts us in the shoes of the Marines who fought at Belleau Wood as much as possible.”

The exhibit for which the film is being made was part of the original conception of the museum, said Ezell. Work on the World War I gallery was deferred in favor of exhibits featuring more modern wars, such as the Vietnam or Korean War, of which there are living veterans who are able to make the pilgrimage to see the museum’s displays.

The film will feature an introduction to the political contexts in which the battle took place, which is intended to give visitors a more comprehensive view of the conflict. A three-dimensional, digital terrain map of the battlefield is expected to set the stage for viewers.

The film, along with other exhibits that are to enhance the already existing one, was planned as part of a $14 million budget to incorporate an extra 80,000 square feet into the museum.

Correspondent: lucas.lowe@usmc.mil