World War I: The Battle of Belleau Wood - Part 2

History of the Marine Corps

Marines had to cross 350 meters of open wheat field to reach the Germans, and many who witnessed the battlefield compared it to Confederate General Robert E. Lee's failed Pickett's Charge during the Battle of Gettysburg. We break down the position and strength of Marine and German forces at Belleau Wood and many of the challenges US forces faced during their engagement. We end the episode by reviewing a few statistics and addressing the elephant in the room about the Marine's famed Devil Dog nickname.