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A Battalion and The Croix de Guerre (Cross of War)
by U.S. Marine Corps 2d MARDIV
December
3,
2020
Leaders from 6th Marine Regiment, 2d Marine Division (2d MARDIV)
recently welcomed “The Beirut Battalion” to their ranks, as the
Marines and Sailors of 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment (1st Bn.,
8th Marines) were formally awarded the historic French Fourragere,
known as the Croix de Guerre, by 6th Marines at a ceremony aboard
Camp Lejeune on November 25, 2020.
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U.S. Marines and Sailors with 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment (V1/8) bow their heads during the invocation at a French Fourragrere dedication ceremony on Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, Nov. 25, 2020. V1/8 is one of the first units in 2d Marine Division that is not organic to 6th Marine Regiment to ever receive the French Fourragere. The French Fourragere was originally awarded to 5th and 6th Marine Regiments for their historic accomplishments in France during the First World War. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Elijah J. Abernathy)
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The integration and Fourragere
presentation is a result of 1st Bn., 8th Marines’ realignment under
6th Marine Regiment Headquarters, as part of the Commandant of the
Marine Corps’ Force Design 2030.
France awarded the
Fourragere to the Marines and Sailors of the 5th and 6th Marine
Regiments in 1918 for their heroism and bravery in the battles of
Belleau Wood, Soissons, and Château-Thierry during World War I. To
this day, the 5th and 6th Marine Regiments are the only Marine Corps
units authorized to wear the Fourragere. This ceremony marks a rare
occurrence, in that an infantry unit that is originally from neither
of those regiments received the coveted Fourragere.
The first
award of the Croix de Guerre came at the Battle of Belleau Wood,
where the 5th and 6th Marine Regiments were recognized for their
brilliant courage, the vigor, the spirit and tenacity. During
Belleau Wood the Marines overcame all the hardships and losses and
captured key terrain from the German army.
The second award
of the Croix de Guerre followed shortly after the Battle of
Soissons, where Marines of both regiments seized enemy positions in
what is known as one of the most dashing victories of the war.
Entering this battle, the Marines were fatigued and lacked proper
weapons, armed only with their rifles and bayonets.
The final
award came after the Battle of Champagne, which opened western
approaches to the Argonne; a momentous shift in the war that
contributed to the allied victory.
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A U.S. Marine with 1st Battalion 8th Marine Regiment, 2d Marine Division,
is presented the French Fourragere during a dedication ceremony on Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, Nov. 25, 2020. V1/8 is one of the few units in 2d Marine Division that is not organic to 6th Marine Regiment to ever receive the French Fourragere. The French Fourragere was originally awarded to 5th and 6th Marine Regiments for their historic accomplishments in France during the First World War. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Elijah J. Abernathy)
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“It’s an honor that I
don’t think they (the Marines and Sailors in 1st Bn., 8th Marines)
realize, but they will understand the magnitude of what it means to
wear that rope around their arm once they understand the history and
lineage of where others came from,” stated Master Gunnery Sgt. Shawn
E. Hughes, battalion operations chief for 1st Bn., 8th Marines.
Hughes continued, “The first time I was awarded the French
Fourragere was in 1997. I was assigned with 3rd Bn. 5th Marines.
Standing in formation, I wasn’t sure what it was about, but once I
read the history behind the French Fourragere, it was phenomenal,
(and) astounding what the Marines went through during WWI in the
trenches of Belleau Wood. It’s about more than me, it’s about the
institution and the Marine to the left and right of them.”
This battalion-sized addition to 6th Marine Regiment signifies a
visible change to the face of 2d MARDIV fighting units. As outlined
in Force Design 2030, “the Objective Force ground combat element
will consist of seven infantry regimental headquarters, and allows
for the Corps to build a more agile, efficient, and lethal fighting
force.”
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