New Perspectives on WWI:Using the Meuse-Argonne cemetery and battle to

examine opposing narratives

Click icon to add picture

The Meuse-Argonne Offensive was the biggest and bloodiest battle in American history. Over 1 million Americans fought during the six week period from Sept 26th 1918 to Nov 11th 1918. The AEF lost 26,277 killed and 95,786 wounded. Within the 130.5 acres of the Meuse-Argonne Cemetery and Memorial in France, rest the largest number of American military dead in Europe, a total of 14, 246.

Why? The search for meaning in WWI

Pointless vs Necessary

Coleman E O’Flaherty’s reaction upon visiting the grave site of his uncle Colman:“I wept for my Uncle who had given his life to help another, and I wept for myself (the first family member to have come to this place). So many fine young men died defending the freedoms we now take so much for granted today. And I thought as I looked around at all the headstones in rows and columns, we should never forget this.”

Emotional reactions

Horror vs Sacrifice

Verdun Fort Douaumont ossuary and cemetery.The battle of Verdun lasted from February to December 1916 and saw 26 million artillery shells fired – an

average of 6 per square yard. Almost 1 million French and Germans were casualties. The remains of 130,000 dead soldiers are kept in the ossuary underneath the memorial as a way to preserve their memory. Each

grave outside says “died for France”.

Nature of Total War

Impersonal vs Personal

Father Colman E O’Flaherty was aiding a soldier hit by artillery behind the lines near Very, France Oct 3 rd 1918 when he himself was hit by a shell and killed instantly. His nephew reports that “In August 1918 he wrote to his mother in Galway, Ireland and advised her that he hoped to visit

her for Christmas 1918. The family lore is that this news brought great joy to his parents who had not seen him since he left Ireland in 1898, and they immediately set about painting their home and preparing for his visit. Unfortunately, Fr Colman E O’Flaherty never did make that trip.”

Estimates of total WWI deaths due to artillery range from 60%-85%.

Importance of the Meuse-Argonne battleRarely mentioned in WWI texts vs War winning

The weapon in this scene is a M1916 37mm Infantry Gun, sometimes called a “1-pounder” by U.S. authorities. While technically a “gun” it was not officially considered “artillery” during the war. After the Western Front went to the trenches, infantry commanders on both sides complained that conventional artillery could no longer keep pace with the infantry. The oft cited problem involved reduction of enemy machine-gun nests. Cratered no-mans-land prevented forward movement of artillery without engineer support. And the communications systems of the day would not reach to forward assault elements to facilitate careful direction of the artillery. The infantry needed a light-weight gun system.(referenced from: http://xbradtc.com/tag/m1916-37mm-infantry-gun/)

“So I must really say that the British food blockade and the American blow in the Argonne decided the war for the Allies." [and that] "... without the American troops and despite a food blockade... the war could have ended in a sort of stalemate."German commander Paul von Hindenburg

“Time will not dim the glory of their deeds.”American commander John J Pershing

“At great cost the US ‘doughboys’ broke the German line and ultimately ended the war”NATO Lt Col Douglas Mastriano

Wrestling with the cemetery – wrestling with history

23 US Army Chaplains died in WWI. A monument at Chaplain’s Hill, Arlington National Cemetery bears the inscription from John 15:13

"Greater Love Hath No Man Than This, That A Man Lay Down His Life For His Friends,"Colman E O’Flaherty was one of these chaplains.

Meuse-Argonne Lesson Plans

•Use the ABMC Meuse-Argonne Cemetery website General information Images and introductory videosSearch grave sites/names

http://www.abmc.gov/cemeteries-memorials/europe/meuse-argonne-american-cemetery

•Search Unit histories Marshall Museum, Lexington (Paul Barron)National WWI museum, Kansas City (Jonathan Casey)Online searchesABMC digitized “Blue Book” http://www.abmc.gov/news-events/news/world-war-i-historic-reference-book-now-available-abmcgov

•Chaplain lesson plansAMBC ibook chapter 1 lesson plans, lesson 2 (3 parts plus)

http://www.?????

•Notable WWI chaplainsFather Duffy (many books and movies)“Fighting Chaplain” Ben Lacy (see ibook pdf attachment for war diary at Meuse-Argonne)Online searches on many others