American Battlefield (above) - the commanding panorama seen from the gallery of the Montfaucon Monument.
Commemoration and Understanding: Reasons to visit the US Battle Zones of 1917 and 1918: Some of the best-preserved trenches and wartime fortifications dating from the years of the Great War can be found in the American sector of the Western Front. The monuments dedicated to the American fallen are amongst the most magnificent of their type. Visiting the war relics and remains in the Verdun area is a moving and shattering experience. Learn more about the US Army, Marines and Air Corps in their first major deployment outside the American Continent. See how America's war dead are commemorated. Enjoy the unique hospitality and culture of a beautiful region of France. Access by rail and road from Paris and regional airports. Expert guides are available to enhance your understanding of the Great War and the legacy of U.S. involvement. Monumental eagle -Sommepy Monument - the site was captured by American troops in 1918, and the eagle commemorates the 70,000 Americans who served in the Marne region of eastern France.
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ONE MIILLION Americans went to war in Europe in1918, and more than 80,000 combatants never saw their homes in the USA again.
In Europe, World War One is often regarded as a needless slaughter, and it is no exaggeration to say that America's part in the conflict is almost forgotten. The truth is that an inexperienced American Army fought bravely and effectively during the final months of war as the German army collapsed. Physical evidence of American ground forces is mainly concentrated near the French fortress city of Verdun, where thousands of French and German lives had already been sacrificed for little territorial gain. The arrival of General John Pershing's forces from across the Atlantic Ocean pushed the Germans to make a desperate gamble to win the war in the Spring of 1918. The armed forces of the United States of America participated in the great battles which brought Germany to defeat and World War One to an end, after nearly five years of conflict and the loss of millions of lives in Europe, Africa and Asia. Germany had come very close to victory in the spring of 1918, but as the Third Battle of the Aisne came to a close in June, the growing might and power of American reinforcements began to make a significant tactical impact, notably in the battles of Chateau-Thierry, Belleau Wood, St.-Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne. This website is published by a recent visitor to these battlefields which are situated away from the usual tourist trails. For the French, the City of Verdun itself is the centre of Great War commemorations, while the equivalent for the British is the River Somme battlefield, where the British took 60,000 casualties in a single day in 1916. It is an unfortunate fact that the number of U.S. citizens choosing to visit this part of France, where their forefathers once fought and died, is relatively small. These important American campaigns of 1918, although not completely forgotten, have been displaced in the nation's memory by more recent armed conflicts. Easy Company - TV's 'Band of Brothers' and the fictitious Private Ryan have replaced the once iconic (and real), Sergeant York in the history of screen-based heroism. As the world commemorates the centenary years of the First World War, 'American Victory 1918' aims to make a small contribution to the reawakening of interest in the decisive role made by the Americans in the war's closing months. This site also seeks to draw attention to the marvellous and moving post-war monuments - built on significant 1918 battlefields - which deserve greater levels of appreciation as we approach the 100th anniversary of the date on which the U.S. Army went 'over there'. |
Top of this page - classical splendour - the Montsec Monument. Visible from miles around, the Monument dominates an isolated hilltop contested by Americans and Germans in 1918. The inscribed names represent French villages liberated by US Forces.
The Montfaucon Monument (above). A single huge doric column representing liberty. A superb location for visitors to survey the location of America's most significant battlefront of September 1918.
Ruined church behind the Montfaucon Monument. There is a network of surviving German bunkers built into these ruins. An unexpected find during the author's recent visit - the location is off the more familiar French tourist routes.
Monument to the sacrifices made by French troops (above) - around this huge pyramid there are shell holes and traces of barbed wire defenceworks.
Words and pictures c. MDM 2015
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American Victory 1918