Blanc Mont Battlefield
Blanc Mont Battlefield 11/07/2022
We arrived in Reims last night, but before we checked into our hotel, we stopped by the Notre-Dame de Reims Cathedral. The church was illuminated and was gorgeous. Reims saw its early beginnings around circa 80 BC. It became a major city in the Roman Empire. It is the home of the Mars Gate. This gate, dating back to the 3rd century, is the only remaining of four Roman gates that allowed entry into the city. Another feature of historical significance is the Notre-Dame Cathedral. There was a church built on this site around 250 to 300 AD. The current structure was built in the 13th century. Much has happened, not only to the city, but also to the church through the years. The city and the cathedral were seriously damaged in World War One. The church was used as a hospital for wounded French soldiers and later for wounded German soldiers. Reims was near the frontlines. From 1914 to 1918 the church was struck by more than 300 artillery shells. There are still restoration projects ongoing today to repair the damage. Going forward, Reims was the headquarters of General Dwight Eisenhower. General Yodyl of the German army surrendered to Eisenhower at the end of World War II. So we took some photographs.
Our drive this morning took us along the French-German frontline. Our first destination was the Blanc Mont Battlefield. This is where the Marines fought a costly battle with the Germans before seizing the Blanc Mont ridge. This battle was from 3 October to 10 October, 1918. We lost over 7800 marines and soldiers, killed and wounded. This was a significant victory for AEF (American Expeditionary Force). This battle is often overlooked when discussions of World War I battles are brought up, but it was thought to have been the most skillfully executed American divisional attack of WW I. On the morning of October 10, the Germans started withdrawing to the Asine River. The stalemate had been broken. We walked the ground under the tutelage of historian Steven Girard. His explanations of the battle, not only of the maneuver elements, but the stories of individual actions brought the battle alive. We walked the ridge, walked in the German trenches, we were educated. I just thought I knew about World War I.
“To be able to say when this war is finished, I belonged to the SECOND DIVISION, I fought with it at the Battle of Blanc Mont Ridge, will be the highest honor that can come to any man.”
☆ — JOHN A. LEJEUNE, Major General, U.S.M.C. ☆
This Monument – Ossuary houses the remains of 10,000 soldiers. This Franco-American monument is where the American soldiers fought side by side with the Poilu and drove back the Germans during the war.
The site this monument is on was captured by American troops Oct. 3 to Oct. 27, 1918.
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