Along with Khe Sahn and Iwo Jima, the fighting at Belleau Wood is part of the US Marine Corps legend.
In 26 days in June 1918, the US Marine Corps fought its first major engagement of WW1, when it was tasked with taking the heavily defended Belleau Wood. Despite being massacred by German machine guns, the Marines fought with tenacity and bravery, in a gladiatorial arena of violence that was described by one veteran as the most brutal hand-to-hand fighting witnessed in four years of war.
We hear about the fighting at Chateau Thierry and learn about the colonial troops of West Africa who fought with distinction, look at some of the incredible acts of bravery shown by US soldiers in the fighting for Belleau Wood, and hear the origin of the most famous phrase in United States military history.
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