26 JUN--This Day in US Military History

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 26 Jun 2015 09:45:24 -0400

1917 – During World War I, the first 14,000 U.S. infantry troops land in France at the port of Saint Nazaire.

The landing site had been kept secret because of the menace of German submarines, but by the time the Americans had lined up to take their first salute on French soil, an enthusiastic crowd had gathered to welcome them. However, the “Doughboys,” as the British referred to the green American troops, were untrained, ill-equipped, and far from ready for the difficulties of fighting along the Western Front.
One of U.S. General John J. Pershing’s first duties as commander of the American Expeditionary Force was to set up training camps in France and establish communication and supply networks. Four months later, on October 21, the first Americans entered combat when units from the U.S. Army’s First Division were assigned to Allied trenches in the Luneville sector near Nancy, France. Each American unit was attached to a corresponding French unit. Two days later, Corporal Robert Bralet of the Sixth Artillery became the first U.S. soldier to fire a shot in the war when he discharged a French 75mm gun into a German trench a half mile away.
On November 2, Corporal James Gresham and privates Thomas Enright and Merle Hay of the 16th Infantry became the first American soldiers to die when Germans raided their trenches near Bathelemont, France.
After four years of bloody stalemate along the Western Front, the entrance of America’s well-supplied forces into the conflict was a major turning point in the war. When the war finally ended on November 11, 1918, more than two million American soldiers had served on the battlefields of Western Europe, and more than 50,000 of these men had lost their lives.

https://thisdayinusmilhist.wordpress.com/2005/06/27/june-26/

June 26

26 June 1604 - French explorer Samuel de Champlain, Pierre Dugua and 77 others landed on the island of St. Croix and made friends with the native Passamaquoddy Indians. It later became part of Main...

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 26 at 2015 10:01 AM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 26 Jun 2015 10:01:50 -0400

Back when the US Military created the reputation of being BAMF and to not mess with the best.

Response by SGT(P) Harry Clyde Jr. made Jun 26 at 2015 7:00 PM

SGT(P) Harry Clyde Jr. — Fri, 26 Jun 2015 19:00:12 -0400

Lafayette we are here!
Spoken by Pershings number one who spoke french. This was at their landing. First stop, the young French royal and american revolutionary supporters grave. Returning the favor.
Tidbit. Pershing, his staff and a small infantry contingent crossed the Atlantic in civies to be inconspicuous.
Sadly Pershing died in a military hospital just after WWII was won, forgotton though he listend and read the goings on from the bed he was in for at least a year. A no nonsense General, MaCArthur and some other future leaders could have learned from him. Your fat, fail, no clue, all about you and your family name, you are gone. We fight as one under good leadership. Unfortunately he was a bit racist. No problem sending blacks to foreign units that welcomed them, treated them well and as equals. Big loss for us in that sense.
They too brought victory, despite what Pershing thought. A man who lead the 10th Cav!
Nyff said