The 4th Marine Brigade, with roughly 10,000 men, was the only large
Marine unit to see major action in World War I. Dubbed "Devil Dogs"
by the Germans, the 4th was part of the 2nd Division of the
American Expeditionary Forces, nicknamed the "Race Horse Division"
for its rapid and devastating pursuit of the enemy. The 4th Brigade
fought at Verdun, Soissons, St. Mihiel, Blanc Mont, and the
Meuse-Argonne, and its signature victory at Belleau Wood saved
Paris from falling into German hands. It was also one of the major
reasons that the 2nd Division advanced more miles, captured more
territory, and amassed more casualties than any other in the war.
George Clark, a former Marine and expert on Marine Corps history,
here draws upon memoirs, diaries, letters, and post-war
interviews-most of which have not been seen since the war ended-to
create a chorus of voices chronicling the 4th Brigade's
experiences. Through the words of these Marines, Clark captures the
rigors of training at Paris Island and Quantico, the ferocity of
combat overseas, and the strange quietude of occupation. He reveals
what it was like for these men to fight in trenches while knee-deep
in mud, with rats playing over them as they slept; going days
between meals, often surviving on what they could forage from dead
German or French packs; and even wishing for a wound that would
allow some time off far from the terrors of the front. He also
illuminates the dread and despair of Marines who beat the odds
during one blood bath, surviving when most of their comrades did
not, only to find themselves flung into an even worse battle not
long afterward.
One German soldier remarked that these "Americans are savages.
They kill everything that moves," a caustic testament to the
Marines' intensity and prowess. But that came at a cost: by war's
end the 4th had suffered a severe casualty rate of 150 percent.
Vividly reflecting the horrors of that "war to end all wars," Devil
Dogs Chronicle pays tribute to the Marines whose bravery helped the
Allies achieve victory in the first global conflict.
General
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