Belleau Wood - Among the Distant Trees

Battles of the First World War Podcast

Mike Cunha

History

4.8 • 812 Ratings

🗓️ 30 June 2018

⏱️ 21 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

The third major German attack on the Western Front in late May 1918 led to the release of the American 2nd Infantry Division to Allied Command to stem the enemy tide. The 5th and 6th Marine Regiments, part of that US Army division, set up positions just south of a patch of forest known as Belleau Wood.

This episode is dedicated to the men and women of the United States Marine Corps, and to the men and women of the US Army 2nd Infantry Division.

The BFWWP is now on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast.

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com or the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook. We're also on Twitter! Follow us at @WW1podcast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes.

Transcript

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0:00.0	We met the war at a crossroad.
0:05.0	We were young.
0:07.0	Europe had been aflame for more than three years,
0:10.0	and we had come a goodly way to smell its smoke.
0:14.0	Full of wanderings and wanderings,
0:17.0	full of restlessness and spice, we heard the war scream and rithe and crash among the
0:23.6	distant trees. The guns around us added to the din, and suddenly we didn't want to die.
0:32.9	Elton Mackin, former Marine of First Battalion, Fifth Marine Regiment, AEF, 2nd Division, writing in his memoir,
0:42.3	Suddenly We Didn't Want to Die on his experiences, heading to Bay battles of the First World War podcast, episode 45, Baylor Wood, Among the Distant Trees.
1:15.8	Okay, so I've missed the centenary of the Battle of Baylor Wood by a couple of days,
1:23.2	as of this recording, but to modify the American saying, I may be a couple days late,
1:29.5	but I am not a dollar short. For those folks outside the U.S., we have a saying here for when
1:37.1	someone is late or otherwise unprepared for something, you are a day late and a dollar short.
1:44.6	So I blew the centenary dates. Yes, I did.
1:48.1	But at least I have the episodes packed full of what is hopefully good information.
1:56.3	The Battle of Bello Wood began with that first legendary assault on June 6th, 1918, but the
2:03.3	wood wasn't cleared until some 20 days later on the 26th. In honor of the fight for Baylor
2:10.8	Wood, this and the next episode are dedicated to the men and women of the United States Marine Corps, as well as to the men
2:20.3	and women of the U.S. Army's 2nd Infantry Division.
2:26.3	All right.
2:27.4	So we are back.
2:29.3	The last couple of months have been shockingly busy with the day job, but we're heading into summer now
	...

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