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Show American Memorial on Hill Near Chsteau-Thierry. Prepared by National Geographic Society. WITH the approach of Armistice Armis-tice day the patriotic American's Ameri-can's thoughts turn back to that day in IMS, when the World war ceased, and to the men who gave up life for world peace. Today 30,880 heroes sleep in beautiful beau-tiful cemeteries in the shadows of handsome memorials near the scenes of their war engagements. In order that the gallant achievements achieve-ments and noble sacrifices of American troops might be suitably commemorated, commemorat-ed, the American Battle Monuments commission was created by an act of congress approved March 4, 1923. Gen. John J. Pershing is its chairman. Eight memorial chapels, of singular beauty and dignity, now stand in the eight American military cemeteries in France, Belgium and England. Eleven monuments rise on the principal American Amer-ican battlefields and at certain chief bases of our operations. Two of these, one at Brest and the other at Gibraltar, Gibral-tar, have been built in tribute to the achievements of our navy's World war forces. In size and design the battlefield monuments range from the towering Doric shaft, topped by a statue, on the dominating hill of Montfaucon, to the simple, effective monument near the town of Ypres, with its low lines blending with the p.lains of Belgium. The imposing monument on Hill 204, near Chateau-Thierry ; the majestic circular colonnade on Montsec, In the St. Mihiel region, nnd the other memorials me-morials in their size are proportionally representative Of the strategical importance impor-tance and greatness of the operations conducted in those areas by American military forces. On many of these monuments have been Inscribed the names of places where the troops engaged in heavy fighting. Orientation tables assist the' visitor in identifying these positions on the landscape, and maps engraved on the walls indicate the progress of the offensives, as well as the divisions which took part. Decorative features also show the insignia of the divisions and larger units, types of equipment used by the American soldiers, and the coats of arms of the United States and allied nations. Beautiful Chapels. The chapels in the military cemeteries ceme-teries likewise vary widely in design. Each is a gem of architectural beauty and an enduring shrine consecrated to the memory of those who fell in battle. On their walls are carved the names of the 1,289 men whose final resting places are unknown and of all those whose marble headstones bear the inscription, in-scription, "Here rests in honored glory an American soldier known but to God." This inscription, prepared by the commission, com-mission, was afterward engraved on I the tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National cemetery. At each of the cemeteries beautiful and comfortable reception rooms have been established near to or In connection. connec-tion. with the caretaker's offices for the convenience of visitors and those desiring de-siring information regarding the soldier sol-dier dead. All of the memorials were designed by carefully selected American architects archi-tects of note, whose work has more than justified the confidence that the commission reposed in them. Each memorial, too, was planned with full consideration of the inherent beauty of the particular position it occupies. In every case infinite care has been exercised in the selection of the quality qual-ity and in the utilization of the stone, marble, and other materials that have gone into their construction. The general locations of the major battlefield memorials are enduring reminders re-minders of the three historic localities on the western front where American j forces In large numbers engaged In active combat. These are known as the Aisne-Marne. the Metise-Argonne, i and the St. Mihiel battlefields. Only the last named of these areas was In Lorraine, that part of eastern France set aside In the summer of 1917 as the concentration area for the American army. The British army had been established estab-lished in the northern part of the long battle lines, near the Channel ports, . thus protecting Its direct line' of communication com-munication with the British Isles. The French army protected Paris. Yankees to the Rescue. The American army was assembled well to the east of Paris, where It could be supplied by the railways lending from the comparatively unused south Atlantic ports of France, thus avoiding the congested area around Paris. Early In 1018, while the American army was being built up In this section, sec-tion, the Germans commenced their series of major offensives. Available Americnn troops were Immediately turned over to the allied commaudet in chief to use as he saw fit. To help stop the enemy drive of May 27, which started north of the Aisne river, American Amer-ican divisions were hurried into line in the vicinity of Chateau-Thierry, directly di-rectly across the German line of advance ad-vance toward Paris. Other American divisions took part in the great counter-offensive which began be-gan July 18, 1918, and within three weeks had driven the enemy to the north of the Vesle river. The American Ameri-can First. Second, Third, Fourth, Twenty-sixth, twenty-eighth, Thirty-second, Thirty-second, Forty-second, and Seventy-seventh divisions' took part in the battles which raged in the vicinity. Of the 300,000 Americans participating in these operations, 64,000 became casu- Therefore, on historic Hill 204, rising just west of Chateau-Thierry, has been constructed an imposing memorial, with twin rows of majestic columns. The site of the monument commands a sweeping view of the Marne valley, In an area rich in fields of grain, sugar beets, and vineyards, flecked with quaint towns and quiet villages, crisscrossed criss-crossed by little streams. Here devastation stalked with the progress of battle. Every town was a target for artillery. Farms were furrowed fur-rowed with myriads of trenches and subterranean shelters, subsoil was turned up over formerly fertile land, fields were implanted with barbed wire and sown with shell fragments. Two Great Cemeteries. There would be little In this vicinity in years to come to remind American pilgrims of the heroic deeds of their countrymen who fought in the Aisne-Marne Aisne-Marne region were it not for the monument mon-ument and the two American military cemeteries. One is located on the northern side of the hill on which stands the famous Belleau Wood. The other is near Fere-en-Tardenois, just north of the Ourcq river. The Oise-Aisne, near Fere, Is the second largest of the American cemeteries abroad, with 6,012 battle dead resting within its confines. The first operation of a complete American army as an independent unit in the World war was the attack of September 12, 1918, in the St. Mihiel region, which lies southeast of Verdun, between the Meuse and Moselle rivers. German attacks early in the war had driven a wedge between Verdun on the Meuse and Pont-a-Mousson on the Moselle. The apex of the wedge included St. Mihiel. about 20 miles south of Verdun. This sector, occupied by the Germans for about four years, was the St. Mihiel salient. A study of a map will show how geography generally determines the strategy of war as well as the commerce com-merce of peace time. The environing hills to the east and west dictated that the main attack should be delivered northward. The First, Second, Fourth, Fifth, Twenty-sixth, Forty-second, Seventy-eighth, Eighty-second, Eighty-ninth Eighty-ninth and Ninetieth divisions took part in the offensive, In which approximately approximate-ly 550,000 Americans were engaged. The American Second army was organized or-ganized in this region a month afterward, after-ward, in October, 191S, and later the Seventh, Twenty-eighth, Thirty-third, and Ninety-second divisions undertook a general attack in the direction of Metz. The signing of the Armistice halted that battle. Memorial on Montsec. These operations, and the services of American units In the quiet sectors to the southeast and In the Vosges mountains, moun-tains, are commemorated by an Imposing Impos-ing memorial on the isolated hill, Montsec, Mont-sec, located a few miles east of St Mihiel and lying close to the southern face of the salient. In the area liberated liberat-ed by the American offensive of September Sep-tember 12. For miles around it dominates the landscape, yet when one passes between be-tween the pylons and mounts the stops leading to the topmost flight of the approach, the majesty and impresslve-ness impresslve-ness of the monument assume even more surprising proportions. At Thlaucourt, Is the third largest or the American military cemeteries with 4,152 headstones. The graves lie In large rectangular area, cut by tree-bnr dered walks and beds of flowers At one end stands a cross-shaped monument, monu-ment, on the front of which Is a com- polling statue depicting the typical youthful American soldier, with trench helmet in hand and side arms and can teen slung on his waist and Shoulder At the north end, beyond the shaped central sundial or stone stands the chapel, an open, circular colon nde, or peristyle, Hanked by a chapel room and a museum. The chapel interior inte-rior contains richly colored mosaics "inch include, above the carved altar' the Angel or Victory. ' |