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The regiment after its work on the St. Mihiel front, rested
only a few days in the territory which it had conquered.
The movement then was to be westward, into the battle of
battles, in the wooded hills of the Argonne. One day's march
from the resting place brought us almost back to the old
trench line, and there we were hastily loaded aboard trucks
and in one night's seemingly endless ride, we landed near the
town of Deuxnouds-debant-Beauzee, just to the west of Verdun.
Here we bivouacked for a few nights, and again took up the move
into the line of battle. Two days march placed us south
of that historic city of Montfaucon, in the woods that bear
its name. Here amid shell holes, shattered trunks of
trees and the debris of battle, we pitched our shelter tents
and rested as only tired men rest. This stop was short.
We moved forward past the town of Montfaucon, westward to
Epinonville, through the village of Eclise Fontaine and the
valley of River Exermont. Brief was the time to grasp
the situation. Forward into the fight we moved, and
relieved the famous and battle-scarred First Division, which
had been doing battle with the enemy. Here we entered
upon the first phase of the most trying battle throughout the
term of war. Of this battle nothing would add to the
commendation given by the General commanding the Fifth Army
Corps of the American Expeditionary Forces to the 84th
Infantyr Brigade, of which this regiment is a part:
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HEADQUARTERS FIFTH ARMY CORPS.
American Expeditionary Forces
France, 26 October, 1918
From: Commanding
General, V Army Corps
To:
Commanding General 42nd Division U. S.
Subject: Service of 42nd Division with
V Army Corps.
The 84th Infantry Brigade:
The Brigade, under the command of Brigadier General
Douglas MacArthur, has manifested the highest soldierly
qualities and has rendered service of the greatest value
during the present operations. With a dash, courage and
a fighting spirit worthy of the best traditions of the
American Army, this Brigade carried by assault the
strongly fortified Hill 288 on the Kriemhilde, Stellung
and unceasingly pressed its advance until it had
captured the Tuilerie Ferme and the Bois de Chatillon,
thus placing itself at least a kilometer beyond the
enemy's strong line of resistance. During this advance
the enemy fought with unusual determination with a first
class division and in many cases resorted to hand to
hand fighting when our troops approached his rear. The
conduct of this Brigade has reflected honor upon the
Division, the Army and the States from which the
Regiments came.
* * *
* *
CHARLES P. SUMMERALL,
Major General Commanding. |
That the victory we won was possible; that the commendation we
received was due us; that the strong line of resistance was
broken, was through the heroic work of all, both the living
and the dead. We record, in this memorial, the names of our
dead that the world may know our appreciation of their
comradeship, and as an acknowledgement of their heroic deeds.
Today there lies resting among the pinnacled hills between Exermont and Landres St. George our contribution to that
gigantic struggle; there we left them amid a grandeur of
towering hills and steep ravines. Unsurpassed in beauty
will be their resting place, when nature has kindly healed her
wounds from passing Armies.
Unsurpassed was their glorious death upon the steep and
wooded slopes of Hill 288 and the Cote de Chatillon, and
unparalleled were the difficulties they overcame, the heroic
feats they accomplished; always face to face with an enemy who
is desperation was fighting as he never fought before, and
proudly I write here that facing that enemy they died.
Time may fill the minds of the living with many
thoughts, but will never erase from our memory the names, the
acts, or the gallant work of the men whose names are
herein
inscribed.
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