Photo By Lance Cpl. Kelvin Clark | It is a tradition for Marines to drink from the Devil Dog fountain when they visit...... read more read more
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MARINE CORPS AIR STATION BEAUFORT, S.C. -- “I missed my opportunity to go five years ago; I wasn’t missing it this time. It was breathtaking to see the place that set the standards for Marines. This is a location any Marine should want to visit, and I am glad I did.”
Gunnery Sgt. Jason Martin, the maintenance administration division chief for Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 312, attached to the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman, uttered those words when he returned from visiting the sites of one of the most memorable battlegrounds in Marine Corps history - Belleau Wood.
The Checkerboards of VMFA-312 left the Air Station May 20 for a deployment in support of Theater Security Cooperation and Maritime Security Operations and entered port in Marseille, France, June 8.
In 1918, the Marines of 4th Marine Brigade, the 5th and 6th Marine Regiments, attached to the 2nd Army Division began a series of attacks during the Battle of Belleau Wood, which culminated June 25, 1918 with the capture of the entire area and the defeat of the German forces.
During the port visit, the Marines visited Paris and Aisne-Marne American Cemetery and Memorial, southwest of the Belleau, Aisne, France. The memorial site is a tribute to the American service members who fought during World War I.
“I wanted to see where we come from,” said Cpl. Nicholas Izzo, a ground support equipment representative for VMFA-312. “The trip was not expensive, and we only know of our history from what we learned in school or recruit training. Being there makes the experience much different than seeing it in the pages of a history book.”
The battle at Belleau Wood was significant because it was there German forces referred to Marines as Devil Dogs, the nickname commonly heard to this day. Belleau Wood is also called “Wood of the Marine Brigade.”
“Visiting Belleau Wood is rare for any Marine,” Martin said. “The battle signified who we are as Marines. The Marines there set the standard we all go by today. The Checkerboards experienced a special connection with their past and were able to see what their brothers and sisters in arms did for them. Our past at Belleau Wood is one of the examples of what distinctly separates us from any other service.”
Marines were able to visit many historical monuments that have remained standing in the area since 1918. Some of the monuments seen were the Memorial Chapel, the gravesites of approximately 1,000 service members, the Marine Monument at Belleau Wood and the Devil Dog fountain.
“It is a tradition for Marines to drink from the fountain because is still standing since it was obstructed [in 1918] after the battle,” Izzo said. “Some of the Marines didn’t know about the tradition until I told them about it. All of us drank from it.”
A lot of Marines do not get the chance to see Belleau Wood because of its location.
“The trip was fun and inspirational, and everything there looked better than anything I have ever seen,” said Lance Cpl. Sara Mund, an aviation maintenance administration clerk with VMFA-312. “The Devil Dog fountain was the most memorable thing to me.”
The Devil Dogs of VMFA-312 returned to the Truman with a better understanding of what their past brothers and sisters sacrificed in order for them to display the words “U.S. Marines” across their left breast pocket.
| Date Taken: | 06.10.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 06.17.2010 13:18 |
| Story ID: | 51553 |
| Location: | MARINE CORPS AIR STATION BEAUFORT, SC, US |
| Web Views: | 1,357 |
| Downloads: | 69 |
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