World War I is best known for its trench warfare, but as the conflict progressed, there were some open-ground battles. This is the type of warfare that our generals were best prepared to organize, and a time when our production capacity for guns and ammo became critical. But regardless of what was happening in the general's tent or back home in the States, American boots on the ground at Argonne Forest were advancing through the German lines.
Or, more precisely, one battalion was advancing through a temporary cavity in the German lines. The Americans got through, but once the Germans realized they were there, the Boche surrounded the lone American battalion ... the one that became known as "The Lost Battalion." Trapped alone in the woods of Argonne Forest, The Lost Battalion was cut off both from supply lines and their leadership in the rear. In the meantime, Allied forces had begun bombing the Germans, but this resulted in bombs landing directly on The Lost Battalion, a terrible "friendly fire" that was killing our own troops.
Is it possible that the tipping point of a battle be held in the dainty talons of a lone pigeon? Yes, it is and it was. This is the tale of how a dove became a hawk, and the gratitude of a nation became carved in stone. This Throwback Thursday, don't miss this excellent installment of American Rifleman television!
