Photo By Jefferson Wolfe | The color guard exits the Somme American Cemetery after a Memorial Day ceremony...... read more read more
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By Lt. Col. Jefferson Wolfe
7th Civil Support Command Public Affairs Officer
BONY, France – Army Reserve leaders from the 7th Civil Support Command honored Memorial Day at a World War I cemetery in northern France.
Brig. Gen. Arlan DeBlieck, commanding general of the 7th CSC, and Chaplain Lt. Col. Brian Harki, 7th CSC command chaplain spoke during the Memorial Day ceremony May 24 at Somme American Cemetery.
The ceremony gathered more than 250 spectators, along with speakers from the American and French militaries and other officials.
The 14.3-acre World War I cemetery contains the graves of 1,844 American military dead. Most lost their lives while serving in American units attached to British armies, or in operations near Cantigny.
“This is but one cemetery, and we are paying tribute to only a few of them 116,000 Americans and 1.3 million French Soldiers who were killed in World War II,” DeBlieck said in his speech.
The walls of the cemetery bear the names of 333 Soldiers still listed as missing in action, he said.
“I do want to remember all of those recognized for bravery with medals and those who were not,” he added. “They represent many nations and are buried across Europe.”
Every year, the cemetery gets closer to the 100th anniversary of American involvement in World War I, said Jeff Hayes, the superintendent of the Somme American Cemetery. The American Battle Monuments Commission is preparing to conduct some large events starting in 2017, he said.
British and French commemorations already are honoring the 100th anniversaries of events that took place early in the war, he added.
This year also marks notable milestones in other American wars, said James W. Gerard, the president of the American Overseas Memorial Day Association. This year is the 150th anniversary of the end of the Civil War, for which Memorial Day was originally created.
In addition, 2015 is the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II, he added.
The Somme American Cemetery, however, is dedicated to Soldiers who fought primarily in two battles during the Second Somme.
The first one was the Battle of Cantigny, fought from May 28-31, 1918. The 1st Infantry Division’s work at Cantigny bolstered Allied morale to hear of fresh American troops fighting and winning.
The second major battle, the Battle of St. Quentin Canal, took place Sept. 29, 1918. The American 30th and 27th Infantry Divisions were fighting in this area to gain a crossing point over the canal. The assault achieved all its objectives, one of which was the first full breach of the Hindenburg Line, in the face of heavy German resistance.
Three Medal of Honor recipients are buried in the cemetery, Pvt. Robert L. Blackwell, from the 30th, and Cpl. Thomas E. O’Shea and 1st Lt. William B. Turner, from the 27th.
| Date Taken: | 05.24.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 05.26.2015 09:00 |
| Story ID: | 164520 |
| Location: | BONY, 2, FR |
| Hometown: | DES MOINES, IA, US |
| Hometown: | WHEELING, WV, US |
| Web Views: | 94 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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