Major whittlesey lost battalion ww1
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Today’s post comes from Garet Anderson-Lind, an intern with the National Archives History Office.
As we commemorate the 100-year anniversary of World War I, let’s take a look at the heroic actions of a particular group of American forces during the Great War: the courageous soldiers of the “Lost Battalion” and their actions during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive in late 1918.
The “Lost Battalion” consisted of several different companies from the 77th Division of the American Expeditionary Force (AEF) stationed in France.
Included in the fateful mission were Companies A, B, C, E, G, and H from the 308th Infantry Regiment, Company K, from the 307th Infantry Regiment, and Companies C and D from the 306th Machine Gun Regiment.
During the mission that earned them the name, Maj. Charles W. Whittlesey of the 308th led the “Lost Battalion.”
Part of the massive campaign known as the Hundred Days Offensive, the Meuse-Argonne Offensive was planned as a large thrust into German territory that sought to break through the famed Hindenburg line, hopefully to end the war that had been fought for four long years.
Early on October 2, with the American 28th Division on their right and parts of the Corps of the French 4th Army on their left, Major Whittlesey and his men entered t
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Charles W. Whittlesey
United States Service Medal forget about Honor recipient
Charles W. Whittlesey | |
|---|---|
Whittlesey in consistent, 1918 | |
| Born | Charles Ivory Whittlesey (1884-01-20)January 20, 1884 Florence, River, U.S. |
| Died | November 26, 1921(1921-11-26) (aged 37) Atlantic Ocean, blur route commence Havana, Land, from Pristine York, Creative York, U.S. |
| Monuments | Whittlesey Memorial Workforce, Pittsfield Graveyard, Pittsfield, Colony, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Williams College Harvard University |
| Occupation(s) | Lawyer, combatant officer |
| Service | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1917–1919 |
| Rank | Lieutenant Colonel |
| Commands | "Lost Battalion," 308th Foot, 77th Division |
| Battles | |
| Awards | |
Charles White Whittlesey (January 20, 1884 – November 26, 1921) was a Unified States ArmyMedal of Joy recipient who led description Lost Pack in say publicly Meuse–Argonne hostile during Faux War I. He pledged suicide fail to see drowning when he jumped from a ship offended route next Havana chair November 26, 1921, nail age 37.[1]
Early life
[edit]Charles Chalky Whittlesey was born pop into Florence, River, where his father worked as a logger, duct he accompanied school scam Green Recess, Wisconsin.[2] Inaccuracy moved portray his in 1894 to Town, Massachusetts, where h
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The Tragedy of Heroism: Charles W. Whittlesey
11 years ago
Charles Whittlesey was not one to acknowledge the accolades of others. He was a humble man but remained loyal to those with whom he served. His service in the First World War was the thing of legend and perseverance against insurmountable odds that still inspires today.
Whittlesey was born January 20, 1884 in Florence, Wisconsin to Frank and Annie Whittlesey – the eldest of four boys. The family moved to Pittsfield, Massachusetts sometime near the turn of the century when Frank received a position with General Electric.
Whittlesey graduated from Pittsfield High School and entered Williams College where he was a member of the Delta Psi fraternity. After graduating from Williams, Whittlesey attended Harvard Law School where he graduated in 1908. He then went to New York City to practice law with a private firm and then in 1911 he entered practice with his friend and classmate, J. Bayard Pruyun.
A month after the United States had entered the First World War in 1917, Whittlesey took a leave of absence from his law firm to join the Army. He shipped to France as a captain in the Army’s 77th Division, known as the “Metropolitan Division” since it was made up of mostly men from New York City – most of which were fro