Sunday, June 6, 2010

Do You Want To Live Forever?..........

With today's D-Day commemoration I thought I might remind folks that another battle was being fought on this day way back in 1918, 92 years ago.

In the Belleau Wood, 3rd Battalion, 5 Marines and 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines attacked well prepared German defensive positions in the wood. The Marines advanced across wheatfields covered with waist high wheat while under very heavy machinegun fire. When the Marines started wavering under the murderous fire, Gunnery Sgt. Dan Daly who had been twice awarded the Medal of Honor, motivated the men of his unit the 73rd Machine Gun Company with the immortal words " Come on you Sons of Bitches, Do you want to live forever?"

The Marines attacked and after much hand to hand combat, gained a foothold in the wood. The battle would last until the 23rd of June, but the beginning of the end started on this date.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Even more, from what I have read, the Medal of Honor buys you a career away from combat, and that you have to specifically request to return to the front lines. Gunny Daly had to have asked to return to combat twice!