The United States Marine Corps is famous for courage, fortitude and strength. The very words “US Marines” are synonymous with toughness. The United States Marine Corps fights its country’s battles on air, land and sea. “From the halls of Montezuma to the shores of Tripoli” the Marines are an image of freedom and fortitude. One of the most iconic battles involving the American Marines is the Battle of Belleau Wood in 1918 during World War I. The Marine “Hellhounds” charged German defenses and in honor of the sacrifice and courage of the American troops, the French renamed the forest “The Wood of the Marine Brigade”.
The Battle of Belleau Wood was fought in June 1918 during the German Spring Offensives. The Germans had launched a series of major attacks on the Allied lines in France in early 1918 in an attempt to end the war before the United States sent a large number of soldiers. The United States had joined the Allies in April 1917 due to German unrestricted submarine warfare and the threatening Zimmermann Telegram, which promised Mexico the states of Texas, Arizona and New Mexico if the Mexicans joined the Germans.
The United States built an army and shipped their forces “over there” to the Western Front. The Germans, under Erich von Ludendorff, were desperate to end the war before America brought its forces to bear. Russia had been defeated in 1917 and so the Germans transported their army from the East to France for one last great onslaught.
The Germans struck at the area of Chateau-Thierry and reached the Marne River, where they had been stopped almost four years earlier. The American Marines moved in to defend Paris and plug the gap in the French line. The Germans flung assault after assault on the American trenches in Belleau Wood. They were driven back. When the French urged the Americans to retreat, the Marines retorted, “Retreat? Hell, we just got here!” On June 6, the Americans counterattacked, taking German positions on Hill 142.
Fighting in Belleau Wood continued until June 26 when the Germans were finally driven from the forest. The Americans had taken the wood with heavy casualties. An epic, iconic story had been added to the US Marine saga. The battle gave rise to the “Hellhound” nickname for the US Marines. The Americans had been reckless in the battle and had been fierce in hand to hand fighting. The stories grew famous and they secured the US Marines’ place in the history of World War I.