Defenders of the Argonne
Details:
50 meters east of the road adjacent to a large crater formed
by an explosion.
The 9-metre-high (30 ft) stone monument is toped with the
bust of a soldier whose hands clasp the handle of a sword which overlays a
cross. The flanks of the memorial are engraved with the numbers of the 275
French regiments, 18 Italian Regiments and 32 American Divisions who saw
service in the Argonne Sector. The crypt of the memorial contains an ossuary
containing the remains of several thousand unknown soldiers. There is an altar
at the base of the monument for ceremonial use. The sculptor Becker had based
the soldier's face on that of his son who had been killed in 1915.
The monument of the Haute Chevauchée is dedicated to the
memory of those men who were killed in the Argonne. It was designed by the
architect Bolloré and inaugurated on 30 July 1922 by Raymond Poincaré and
blessed by Monseigneur GInisty, the Bishop of Verdun.
Monument Text:
The text on the monument is written in French and reads:
Front Side:
Aux Morts De L'Argonne
Translation:
To the dead of the Argonne.
The rear side of the monument lists all the French units (275 Regiments) that fought in the Argonne in 1914-1918 and reads:
1914-1918
FRANCE
(See photo for list of units)
Left side of the monument lists the Italian units (18 Regiments or equivalent) that fought in the Argonne 1914-1918 and reads:
1914-1918
ITALIE
(See photo for list of units)
The right side of the monument lists the American units (32 Divisions or equivalents) that fought in the Argonne in 1917-1918 and reads:
1917-1918
ETATS UNIS
D’AMERICA
(United States of America)
DIVISIONS | REGIMENTS | |
OF INFANTRY | OF ARTILLERY | |
|
|
|
1st | 15-18-26-28 | 5-6-7 |
|
|
|
2nd | 9-235-6MARINES | 12-15-17 |
|
|
|
3rd | 4-7-30-38 | 10-18-76 |
|
|
|
4th | 39-47-58-59 | 13-16-77 |
|
|
|
5th | 10-50-51 | 19-20-21 |
|
|
|
26th | 101-102-103-104 | 101-102-103 |
|
|
|
28th | 109-110-111-112 | 110-111-112 |
32nd | 125-126-127-128 | 119-120-121 |
|
|
|
33rd | 129-130-131-132 | 104-105-106 |
|
|
|
35th | 107-138-139-140 | 128-129-130 |
|
|
|
42nd | 165-166-167-168 | 149-150-151 |
|
|
|
77th | 305-306-307-308 | 304-305-306 |
|
|
|
78th | 309-310-311-312 | 307-308-309 |
|
|
|
80th | 317-318-319-320 | 313-314-315 |
|
|
|
81st | 321-322-323-324 | 128-129-130 |
|
|
|
82nd | 325-326-327-328 | 319-320-321 |
|
|
|
89th | 353-354-355-356 | 340-341-342 |
|
|
|
90th | 357-358-359-360 | 313-314-315 |
|
|
|
91st | 351-352-353-354 | 113-114-115 |
|
|
|
92nd | 365-366-367-368 |
|
FIELD ARTILLERY
134-135-136-147-347-348
COAST ARTILLERY
43-44-51-52-53-55-56-57-59-60-65
ENGINEERS
2-7-11-15-23-103-111-114-302-304
Commemorates:
Units:
1st Infantry Division
23rd Engineer Regiment
26th Infantry Division
28th Infantry Division
2nd Infantry Division
32nd Infantry Division
33rd Infantry Division
35th Infantry Division
3rd Infantry Division
42nd (Rainbow) Division
42nd Infantry Division
4th Infantry Division
5th Infantry Division
6th-Marine-Regiment
77th Infantry Division
78th Infantry Division
80th Infantry Division
81st Infantry Division
82nd Airborne Division
89th Infantry Division
90th Infantry Division
91st Infantry Division
92nd Infantry Division
American Expeditionary Forces (AEF)
United States Marine Corps
Wars:
WWI
Battles:
Meuse-Argonne Offensive
Other images :