Belleau Wood exhibit at NMMC

[devildog34]

I'm sure many of you fellow WWI USMC enthusiasts already saw this. Those of you who've been know the Nationa Museum of the Marine Corps is lacking its WWI exhibit. This film that was recently made in the rural fields of Virginia is a reenactment that is suppose to accompany the exhibit. I've included the link below, enjoy.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dafWOGZsYYY

[Baker502]

Thats a fantastic clip on the Battle of Belleau Wood, would like to see the finished product..Paul

[bobgee]

BRAVO ZULU! Great clip. Thanks for the link. The terrain used looks just like the fields at Belleau Wood. Can't wait to see the finished product and WWI display, Semper Fi......Bobgee

[trenchbuff]

Thanks for the post. I'll really be looking forward to seeing the finished product as well. Looks like quite a few of the actors are wearing Marine forest green uniforms. Can anyone answer what the general percentage of Marines who might have worn forest green uniforms compared to those who had already been issued Army uniforms?

[nuke41]

I wonder if the display and film will continue to ignore the US Army units that also participated in the Battle of Belleau Wood and portray the USMC as the only allied combattants?

[devildog34]

Trenchbuff, to answer your question regarding the forest green tunics, it's a great question to begin with but with the little photographic evidence that exists, there are some that do have green tunics, there is a picture of members of the 77th MG. Co. near Bois de Clerembauts on June 3 that shows a Hotchkiss section. You can clearly see a first sergeant, (whom I believe to be John McNulty) and several other marines standing alongside some French troops, most all the Marines were wearging the greens, now was this actually taken on June third? Who knows a lot of the photos, like most the WWI, was done after the fact and it is likely that it was a posed photo to look like it was amidst the action. I do know that our friend Gilles Lagin has found parts of the forest green tunic in Belleau Wood, if I recall I saw a section of uniform (the breast pocket with button still fastened) in his collection, but you'd have to confirm that with him. I believe that most Green tunics worn were done so by officers and the men who had arrived after the brigades time near Toul in March/April. Just my thoughts I'm sure many more members could educate us on their perhaps more accurate assessment. Nuke41, I totally and one hundred percent agree with you that the Marines action at Belleau Wood have totally and unjustifiably overshadowed the contributions of the Army. June 6, 1918 was a terrible day for the 3rd Bn 23rd Infantry advancing east of Boureshes they were ripped to pieces and all because of piss poor communications, particularly hit was M Company. Very sad that these accomplishments have not gone more recognized as well as the work of both the 9th and 23rd in capturing hill 204 and the town of Vaux which was a text book assault and done with nearly flawless preperations compared to the assaults on previous objectives by the division. The 7th Infantry has also largely been denied their due, even though they were largely unprepared to enter that caldron, they went into it and fought with vigor and determination and paid dearly for it. True warriors that deserve the recognition you speak of.

-Semper Fi, Sgt. K. Seldon