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 . . .
Army Major Ab Johnson’s mission is to find his estranged son, Jack, a marine second lieutenant who is heading into the worst conflict in human history. He must find Jack before he loses the chance to reconcile—lieutenants don’t last long in the killing fields of France. Ab’s 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 those of US Navy surgeon Arthur Beck, a navy corpsman, and a marine private who confront their destinies in a grueling fight filled with chaos and heart-stopping fear. They each joined the war effort for their own reasons—now all they hope for is to survive.
(The photo is from the US Marine Corps Historical Division)