Unsung Heroes Remembered
The Memorial Day service at the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery, Belleau, France, on the centennial of the Battle of Belleau Wood.
(Photo by John F. Andrews)
Second Lieutenants Didn't Last Long In This War
The world turned in 1918 . . .
A father’s search for his estranged son plunges US Army Major Ab Johnson into the pivotal First World War Battle of Belleau Wood. This is a story of honor, courage, commitment, a father’s love for his son, and the bonds of combat.
Ab Johnson has one last chance to reconcile with his son, Jack, a marine second lieutenant who is heading into the worst conflict in human history. Second lieutenants don’t last long in the killing fields of France. Ab volunteered to rejoin the army and come to France for a liaison job far from the fighting, only to be transferred to the Paris Medical Group. His quest leads him from the backrooms of Paris, through command posts, and to the front lines during the Battle of Belleau Wood. He confronts French petulance and American inexperience as he struggles to help organize an army medical system swamped with casualties during his desperate search.
Ab’s story intertwines with three others: an arrogant surgeon who sees war as opportunity; a navy corpsman searching for his place in the world; and a marine private full of fighting spirit and patriotism. They confront their destinies in a grueling fight filled with chaos and heart-stopping fear. Each joined the war effort for his own reasons—now all they hope for is to survive.
(The photo is from the US Marine Corps Historical Division)