A Dozen Quotes from Belleau Wood

Marine Rifleman by John W. Thomason Who Was
Present and Wounded at Belleau Wood

1.  The topography of the greater part of [Belleau] wood, especially in the eastern and southern portions, was extremely rugged and rocky, none of which was shown in any map available at the time. Great irregular boulders . . . were piled up and over and against one another. . . . These afforded shelter for machine-gun nests, with disposition in depth and flanking one another, generally so rugged that only direct hits of artillery were effective against them.

Gen, James Harbord, 4th [Marine] Brigade Commander

2.  Zero hour. Dawn of June 6, 1918. Undertone commands brought the chilled, sleepy men to their feet. A skirmish line formed along the edge of the woods. There were last minute instructions, and bits of advice flung here and there. Careless of cover, the first wave stood about in the wheat, adjusting belts, and hitching combat packs to easier positions. . . First Sergeant “Pop” Hunter, top-cutter of the 67th Company, strode out into the field and threw a competent glance to right and left, noting the dress of his company line. . . No bugles. No wild yells. His whistle sounded shrilly, once. His cane swung overhead and forward, pointing toward the first objective, a thousand yards of wheat away, where the tensely quiet edge of Belleau Wood was German-held. The spell was broken. A single burst of shrapnel came to greet the moving line of men. There was a scream of pain. A soldier yelled, “Hey, Pop, there’s a man hit over here!” Reply was terse and pungent. “Gawdammit, c’mon. He ain’t the last man who’s gonna be hit today.”

Corporal Elton Mackin,  5th Marines

3.  I have every man, except a few odd ones, in line now. We have not broken contact and have held.

Lt Col. Harry Lee, 6th Marines

4.  We got into the edge of the woods and we dug in. And we took position there, ready for either an advance again on orders from the top command or for a defence against a counter attack. Now this was the kind of fighting that many Americans knew of; no longer trench system, no trench warfare, but open warfare. The way their ancestors had fought on the frontiers and in all the wars of our country. And we knew it. But the difficulty with Belleau Wood was you never knew where the front was. Little groups of Americans, little groups of Germans got together to fight each other. And while you were fighting in one direction all of a sudden, without any warning, you’d find there were some Germans to the rear of you and they had to be mopped up. Clean up, mop up, and move ahead; move ahead with the unyielding determination to enforce your will on the enemy; and that was how we moved in Belleau Wood.

Sgt.  Melvin Krulewitch,  6th Marines (1964 Interview)

5.  Forgive me that I am answering your letter at such a late date, but I could not do so before. We have Americans opposite us who are terribly reckless fellows. In the last eight days I have not slept twenty hours. My company has been reduced from 120 to 30 men. Oh, what misery!

Private Hebel, German 237th Division

6.  The Boche wanted Hill 142; he came, and the rifles broke him, and he came again. All his batteries were in action, and always his machine guns scoured the place, but he could not make head against the rifles. Guns he could understand; he knew all about bombs and auto-rifles and machine-guns and trench-mortars, but aimed, sustained rifle-fire, that comes from nowhere in particularand picks off men—it brought the war home to the individual and demoralized him.

Lt. John Thomason, 5th Marines

Marine Dead on the Edge of Belleau Wood

7.  It's damn hot up there!

Col. Wendell Neville, Commander 5th Marines

8.  The spirit of the troops is fresh and harmlessly confident. Quite typical is the expression of one prisoner, "We kill or get killed." Casualties of the Marine Brigade [at Belleau Wood] are considerable. One prisoner estimates them to be 30-40%.

German 87th Division, Intelligence Report

9.  Have had terrific bombardment and attack.... Everything is ok... Can you get hot coffee to me?

Maj. John Hughes, 6th Marines

10.  Our line was thinly held — our supports were nil, and our ability to hold our line, should it be attacked in force, doubtful. Laboring under these handicaps, the attack was made, as ordered, and was a failure. Two days later another attack was ordered, with the promise of heavy artillery preparation. The battalion made the attempt, but the absolute lack of the promised artillery preparation made the attempt abortive and caused heavy casualties without any military result.

Lt. Col. Frank Adams, 7th U.S. Infantry

Marine Casualties at Belleau Wood

(Does not include 689 Killed and Wounded of U.S. Army 2nd Engineers and 7th Infantry at Belleau Wood)

11.  The Marines fill the place to overflowing. The hospital increased from 600 to 1500 beds overnight. The medical staff was overwhelmed...I looked at the stump of a young Marine who's leg had been amputated and said: "Now, my boy, aren't you sorry you didn't stick to your drum?" He replied, "No, ma'am, this ain't no time for music."

Nurse Elizabeth Ashe, American Ambulance Service

12.   Belleau Woods now U.S. Marine Corps’ entirely.

Major Maurice Shearer, 5th Marines

[Editor's note:  I know. I left off Dan Daley and Lloyd Williams, but I figure if your reading Roads, you've heard what they said many times already. MH]

Sources: Fix Bayonets,  USMC documents and websites,  The Doughboy Center,  Miracle at Belleau Wood; The Bravest Deeds of Men;  Suddenly We Didn't Want to Die