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"With the Help of God and a Few Marines": The Battles of Chateau Thierry and Belleau Wood
”When the United States declared war on Germany, a thrill went through the Marine Corps, for we were fighting men all and we learned that Marines were to be rushed over to France to take their stand on the Frontier of Liberty beside the battle-scarred veterans of France and Great Britain.”Brigidier General Albertus W. Catlin and his fellow marines were among the first American soldiers sent across to France in World War One and within months they were thrown into the thick of the action.As the Germans made a last ditch attempt to break through allied lines and capture Paris it was the marines who stood in their way.In the bloody days of June 1918 Catlin and his small band of marines fought ferociously against the Germans, utilising all the training that they had been through and showing the true metal of the marines.It is a period that has gone down as one of the greatest achievements of the United States Marines Corps.This fascinating history of the marines and their involvement in World War One was written during Catlin’s recovery period after he had been shot by a sniper during the sixth day of the Battle of Belleau Wood.“The story of the marines in France is told with authority and interest.”— Booklist“It is one of the books about the American war effort which is well worth keeping as well as reading.” — Outlook“A well-written and complete account.” — Library BulletinAlbertus W. Catlin (1868-1933) was a career soldier who had received the Medal of Honor for leading the 3rd Marine Regiment at Vera Cruz, Mexico and for displaying “distinguished conduct in battle”. He published ”With the Help of God and a Few Marines in 1919.
196 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1919
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August 13, 2018
A very interesting read if you are a WW1 buff and interested in the Marines and their great sacrifice at Chateau Thierry and Belleau Wood. Here we see the British and French and their wonderful allies, after four long years, worn down, with the Germans about to deliver the knock out blow and take Paris.
Brigadier General Albertus Wright Catlin U.S.M.C. tells how the Marines were trained and their forces increased as they prepared to go in and assist France after having declared war on Germany (following the sinking of the Lusitania).
An overseas training camp was established at Quantico, Va., and I went down to take charge. There we received the graduates from the regular training stations as fast as they could be turned out, and through the summer and fall of 1917 we drilled ‘em and we drilled ‘em, until they were fit to go up against any foe on earth.
He tells of the Marine philosophy—their creed.
The Marine fights because fighting is the immediate and essential means to an end. He trusts implicitly the judgment of his superiors that the end justifies the means, not with the blind trust of the docile German, but from a well-grounded and well understood principle…They have never been deceived and they never hesitate.
Who are these Marines? A bare thousand of them challenged death in Belleau Wood with the same spirit that drove on the Six Hundred at Balaklava.
Catlin describes their background and why these men were chosen:
Sixty per cent of the entire regiment — mark this — sixty per cent of them were college men. Unquestionably, the intelligent, educated man makes the best soldier. There is no place for the mere brute in modern warfare.
Life in the trenches was hell. They hated the rats as much as the enemy.
…And the rats. They played over the men while they slept in the dug-outs. They lived and multiplied and made merry throughout the length of the trenches. There are regiments which keep terriers for the killing of rats in the trenches. We had no terrier, but the Fifth had a mascot that was nearly as good. It was an ant bear, a sort of raccoon, which some Marine had brought from Haiti. And it did murder rats ...
The Germans sometimes played dirty tricks which, even in war, are not worthy of any soldier.
If evidence were lacking of ingrained German untrustworthiness and treachery, the following from the lips of three men: 'During the progress of a hot engagement a number of Germans, hands aloft and crying ‘Kamerad!’ approached a platoon of Marines who, justifiably assuming it meant surrender, waited for the Germans to come into their lines as prisoners. When about three hundred yards distant, the first line of Germans suddenly fell flat upon their faces, disclosing that they had been dragging machine guns by means of ropes attached to their belts. With these guns the rear lines immediately opened fire and nearly thirty Marines went down …with a yell of rage, their comrades swept forward, bent on revenge. I am happy to state that not a German survived, for those who would have really surrendered when their dastardly ruse failed were bayoneted without mercy.'
Finally, the great struggle is over and Catlin correctly correctly states:
I believe that our part in this war has been vital, that if we had not gone in Germany would have won. The mere fact that half a million Americans were training on French soil was enough to hearten volatile France. They needed something more than mere fighters, and they got it in the nick of time. And if the United States Marines had not beaten back the Hun at Belleau Wood, Paris might easily have fallen.
It is heartbreaking to read what the general says about the German menace being at an end—Hitler and his criminal gangs were back for revenge within twenty years!
Well, the war is over, and we all rejoice in that. There has been enough of killing and of suffering. But it has not been fought in vain if Germany’s military power has been thoroughly broken and its menace to civilization ended forever.
The general’s last words are also heartbreaking, as well as prophetic.
And finally I pray for a more robust and heart-felt patriotism, a genuine love of country like that which the Frenchman feels. … It is my country that went into this war solely to save the ideals of Christianity from destruction. It is my country that sent the flower of its manhood to fight and die for that cause. It is my country that stands here on the great Western continent, facing the future with faith undimmed, ideals untarnished, in the full strength of her prime, the world-acknowledged champion of the rights of man. God save my country!
There have been vast structural changes to the landscape during this past century since WW1 and there is much for us to reflect upon in Brigadier General Catlin’s closing statements.
Brigadier General Albertus Wright Catlin U.S.M.C. tells how the Marines were trained and their forces increased as they prepared to go in and assist France after having declared war on Germany (following the sinking of the Lusitania).
An overseas training camp was established at Quantico, Va., and I went down to take charge. There we received the graduates from the regular training stations as fast as they could be turned out, and through the summer and fall of 1917 we drilled ‘em and we drilled ‘em, until they were fit to go up against any foe on earth.
He tells of the Marine philosophy—their creed.
The Marine fights because fighting is the immediate and essential means to an end. He trusts implicitly the judgment of his superiors that the end justifies the means, not with the blind trust of the docile German, but from a well-grounded and well understood principle…They have never been deceived and they never hesitate.
Who are these Marines? A bare thousand of them challenged death in Belleau Wood with the same spirit that drove on the Six Hundred at Balaklava.
Catlin describes their background and why these men were chosen:
Sixty per cent of the entire regiment — mark this — sixty per cent of them were college men. Unquestionably, the intelligent, educated man makes the best soldier. There is no place for the mere brute in modern warfare.
Life in the trenches was hell. They hated the rats as much as the enemy.
…And the rats. They played over the men while they slept in the dug-outs. They lived and multiplied and made merry throughout the length of the trenches. There are regiments which keep terriers for the killing of rats in the trenches. We had no terrier, but the Fifth had a mascot that was nearly as good. It was an ant bear, a sort of raccoon, which some Marine had brought from Haiti. And it did murder rats ...
The Germans sometimes played dirty tricks which, even in war, are not worthy of any soldier.
If evidence were lacking of ingrained German untrustworthiness and treachery, the following from the lips of three men: 'During the progress of a hot engagement a number of Germans, hands aloft and crying ‘Kamerad!’ approached a platoon of Marines who, justifiably assuming it meant surrender, waited for the Germans to come into their lines as prisoners. When about three hundred yards distant, the first line of Germans suddenly fell flat upon their faces, disclosing that they had been dragging machine guns by means of ropes attached to their belts. With these guns the rear lines immediately opened fire and nearly thirty Marines went down …with a yell of rage, their comrades swept forward, bent on revenge. I am happy to state that not a German survived, for those who would have really surrendered when their dastardly ruse failed were bayoneted without mercy.'
Finally, the great struggle is over and Catlin correctly correctly states:
I believe that our part in this war has been vital, that if we had not gone in Germany would have won. The mere fact that half a million Americans were training on French soil was enough to hearten volatile France. They needed something more than mere fighters, and they got it in the nick of time. And if the United States Marines had not beaten back the Hun at Belleau Wood, Paris might easily have fallen.
It is heartbreaking to read what the general says about the German menace being at an end—Hitler and his criminal gangs were back for revenge within twenty years!
Well, the war is over, and we all rejoice in that. There has been enough of killing and of suffering. But it has not been fought in vain if Germany’s military power has been thoroughly broken and its menace to civilization ended forever.
The general’s last words are also heartbreaking, as well as prophetic.
And finally I pray for a more robust and heart-felt patriotism, a genuine love of country like that which the Frenchman feels. … It is my country that went into this war solely to save the ideals of Christianity from destruction. It is my country that sent the flower of its manhood to fight and die for that cause. It is my country that stands here on the great Western continent, facing the future with faith undimmed, ideals untarnished, in the full strength of her prime, the world-acknowledged champion of the rights of man. God save my country!
There have been vast structural changes to the landscape during this past century since WW1 and there is much for us to reflect upon in Brigadier General Catlin’s closing statements.
February 28, 2017
“It might be wiser, perhaps, if I were to leave all critical discussions of the war in general and the problems growing out of it to those trained writers and thinkers who have made special study of these things. Viewing the situation broadly from afar, their ears unassailed by the roar of cannon and the groans of dying men, a clearer view is granted them. But they are for the most parts civilians, and my only excuse for indulging in these closing reflections is that the views of a professional soldier, whose life has been spent with the Marines and who has faced the Boche on the firing line, may be not without a certain interest for those who gain most of their conceptions of the war from magazine writers and the editorial pages of the daily papers.” Written nearly a century ago – this statement was provided within the final pages of the book – in my opinion it is quite telling to how the more things change – the more they remain the same. A grunt is a grunt; whether in Roman or Greek times or for those that fought at the Battle of Hastings in 1066, Agincourt in 1415, Waterloo in 1815 – the Somme of 1916 or Belleau Wood of 1918 – the fundamental purpose of human nature and habits have never changed. Technology has evolved – people have not evolved – many accounts of war prove this time and time again.
This book written by Brigadier General Albertus Catlin, USMC (Retired-Deceased) was begun during his recuperation period after sustaining an injury that would have taken the lives of many others; and, was completed in 1919; though it looks to be a mere single edition book the writing within the pages suggests at least another attempt to update the book could have occurred by 1923. It is a thoughtful book and account of one of the most historic battles that the U.S. Marines fought and taught to its history in times going forward. The bulk of the book covers the Bois de Belleau was renamed by the French people and Government as Bois de la Brigade de Marine, in honor of the Marine Corps' tenacity in its re-taking. In this book and to the proximity of time as experienced by this Marine Officer the reader of history will appreciate that General Jack Pershing was most appreciative and respected the fighting ability of the U.S. Marine and his (later) Second Division as commanded by U.S. Army Brigadier General James Harbord. Harbord took command of the 4th Marine Brigade and later was the Commanding Officer (July 1918 of the U.S. Army Second Division). There are many myths dispelled in this book and yet, many historical facts brought to life from the efforts of the Marines during the course of this battle. The most important point of this book is the simple truth. This book is an unintentional dispelling of General Smedley D. Butler’s book (that would come out in the year of the death of General Catlin) entitled “War Is a Racket”; General Butler gets many good referenced mention in this book of General Catlin; as became clear throughout this book Catlin leaves certain points (that he brings to discussion) for future historians to reflect and write about later into the future. After reading this book it is clear in my mind that he would not have agreed with Major General S.D. Butler’s future book; nor the opinions of the same. It still confounds me in reflection as to how in an older age he became so embittered with the protection of the nation. Between the Spanish American War and the First World War there is no doubt that many actions took place where the United States and in our hemisphere protected many innocent people from Nicaragua, to Haiti to the Philippine Islands.
Catlin does not toot his own horn, but it is apparent that he deserved better credit than he gave himself in this accounting. The good heart and strong conscience of General Catlin is ever present in this book. He provides a good beginning with enough background that does not lose the reader in minutiae and then gets into the detail of efforts prior to, during and after having landed in France. There is however a part of this book that one is able to read that this author had no assistance in writing of the same (though an alternate credit is provided it is difficult to read where the General had assistance) – in some parts of the book he is simply too close (and both literally and metaphorically speaking) to the woods to see the forest among the trees. Because he does take 5 years to complete the book he is able to minimize a common human error as he reflects, reads, studies the bigger picture of the events that he miraculously survived and manages to incorporates this information within his pages; he goes to great length to discuss the future of a Post WW I and scratches the surface of his opinion of the economy of Germany in a Post War period. In this manner his closeness and personal experience to the battle itself is mitigated to where the book becomes relevant even for today. I do have to ponder; however, if one Major George W. Hamilton ever came into contact with Brigadier General Catlin prior to or during the events of the Battle of Belleau Wood. During the course of the battle Catlin was in fact a full Colonel.
To the telling accounts of one scene that struck out to me as I was reading this book – General Catlin inserts letters from Marines that were written home and saved by family members one such (and only one I will use in my review) letter was quite telling of the experiences. Private S.E. Steck of Camden, New Jersey and though his Marine Company was in reserve and not called upon until the 11 of June 1918; at night between the 6th and 10th he and two Sergeants would sneak out at night and attempt rescue efforts on injured Marines; there were stories in these early days of the battle to which full companies were rescued by the disobedience of orders. On one such evening during a rescue attempt – Private Steck and the two Sergeants came across a German Officer that was seated comfortably with his knees crossed. In front of this officer was spread “a little field table on which was cake, jam, cookies, and a fine array of food. A knife and fork was in either hand.” Private Steck goes on to write that “…there was a bulky German Sergeant next to the officer who had been knitting socks – the needles were still in his fingers – but both of their heads had been blown off.” The Bois de Belleau was not an excessively large area and yet this section along with Château Thierry was in fact the pathway to Paris – the Germans had the desire to do in the First World War and worse what they accomplished in the Franco-Prussian War some 40+ years earlier.
There is one overarching fact that cannot be ignored during this conflict; one that General Catlin honestly didn’t see while he wrote this book. The story of Krupp Armaments – Krupp essentially had the market cornered globally prior to the First World War. So much so that when the war ended Krupp was paid £47,000 from the British for expended shells at a cost of 1 schilling 3 pence per each. There is controversy around this total today, but Barbara Tuchman and William Manchester seem to be the sources on this. Manchester had unbridled access to Krupp in the late 1950’s – to early 1960’s while he was writing “Arms of Krupp”. Knowing William Manchester (also author of “Last Lion” first two volumes and research for the third) he would have well researched the financial data accordingly; I for one do not dispute this value earned back to Krupp following the war. Today there is controversy in this matter - in particular MUN 4, as contract prices were complex and could change. The Coventry Ordnance Works Limited is but one company – Whitworth’s was the other that used Krupp shells and fuses. With regard to Krupp fuses, Coventry Ordnance Works and Whitworth's believed they had a legal obligation to pay royalties to Krupp but were prevented from doing so by the British Government who invoked the Trading with the Enemy Act. At some point a historian should commit an effort to either supporting Tuchman/Manchester or dispute this matter with facts – again, I am of the mind that Manchester compiled the correct information and reviewed it thoroughly.
Prior to going into a conclusion on this book some interesting notes on General Catlin. He was an 1890 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy - As a young Lieutenant, Catlin was the Officer in Charge of the Marine Detachment aboard the USS Maine when the ship was blown – his account makes no question this ship was destructed by opposition forces in Cuba. He floated the Atlantic for three years up to 1914 and once the war started in Europe he had the foresight to develop his acuity to meet what he saw was coming down the pike for the United States. His story is an interesting one – one that should be developed by a quality author in the near future I would hope. Inside the book he gave enough background and history to the public on the U.S. Marine Corps – I question how much interest there could have been in this arena when isolation was the word of the day by the time the work came out. Prohibition was in full force thanks to the 40 year earlier attempts of the Temperance Movement and the Twenty First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution – a movement and law that led to more internal crime than what had ever been intended with the passage of the same.
The last 10 pages of the book are General Catlin’s personal reflections; some of them held true flash-forward viewpoints he could never have then realized. To the best of information available it looks to be a work completed in 1919 – but the reprints have seemingly missed incorporating the first edition. In a post war reflection General Catlin writes: “As for the Nation, I am not surprised Americans were slow to wake up to the necessity of preparedness, for they did not believe in burglars. It took a lot to convince them. But, perhaps the lesson has been learned and the Nation will never become quite so completely demobilized again. So long as human nature is what it is, so long as there is a bare possibility that burglars like the Potsdam gang may be in existence somewhere, it is best to be ready.” General Catlin would not be alive on 7 December 1941 – I for one would have liked to have possibly read his Post World War II perspective. The review ends with a quote as much as it opened up with one. Wonderful read – any person interested in reading about the First World War in honor of the sacrifices made by a lost generation – should read this book to provide a balance to many other works.
This book written by Brigadier General Albertus Catlin, USMC (Retired-Deceased) was begun during his recuperation period after sustaining an injury that would have taken the lives of many others; and, was completed in 1919; though it looks to be a mere single edition book the writing within the pages suggests at least another attempt to update the book could have occurred by 1923. It is a thoughtful book and account of one of the most historic battles that the U.S. Marines fought and taught to its history in times going forward. The bulk of the book covers the Bois de Belleau was renamed by the French people and Government as Bois de la Brigade de Marine, in honor of the Marine Corps' tenacity in its re-taking. In this book and to the proximity of time as experienced by this Marine Officer the reader of history will appreciate that General Jack Pershing was most appreciative and respected the fighting ability of the U.S. Marine and his (later) Second Division as commanded by U.S. Army Brigadier General James Harbord. Harbord took command of the 4th Marine Brigade and later was the Commanding Officer (July 1918 of the U.S. Army Second Division). There are many myths dispelled in this book and yet, many historical facts brought to life from the efforts of the Marines during the course of this battle. The most important point of this book is the simple truth. This book is an unintentional dispelling of General Smedley D. Butler’s book (that would come out in the year of the death of General Catlin) entitled “War Is a Racket”; General Butler gets many good referenced mention in this book of General Catlin; as became clear throughout this book Catlin leaves certain points (that he brings to discussion) for future historians to reflect and write about later into the future. After reading this book it is clear in my mind that he would not have agreed with Major General S.D. Butler’s future book; nor the opinions of the same. It still confounds me in reflection as to how in an older age he became so embittered with the protection of the nation. Between the Spanish American War and the First World War there is no doubt that many actions took place where the United States and in our hemisphere protected many innocent people from Nicaragua, to Haiti to the Philippine Islands.
Catlin does not toot his own horn, but it is apparent that he deserved better credit than he gave himself in this accounting. The good heart and strong conscience of General Catlin is ever present in this book. He provides a good beginning with enough background that does not lose the reader in minutiae and then gets into the detail of efforts prior to, during and after having landed in France. There is however a part of this book that one is able to read that this author had no assistance in writing of the same (though an alternate credit is provided it is difficult to read where the General had assistance) – in some parts of the book he is simply too close (and both literally and metaphorically speaking) to the woods to see the forest among the trees. Because he does take 5 years to complete the book he is able to minimize a common human error as he reflects, reads, studies the bigger picture of the events that he miraculously survived and manages to incorporates this information within his pages; he goes to great length to discuss the future of a Post WW I and scratches the surface of his opinion of the economy of Germany in a Post War period. In this manner his closeness and personal experience to the battle itself is mitigated to where the book becomes relevant even for today. I do have to ponder; however, if one Major George W. Hamilton ever came into contact with Brigadier General Catlin prior to or during the events of the Battle of Belleau Wood. During the course of the battle Catlin was in fact a full Colonel.
To the telling accounts of one scene that struck out to me as I was reading this book – General Catlin inserts letters from Marines that were written home and saved by family members one such (and only one I will use in my review) letter was quite telling of the experiences. Private S.E. Steck of Camden, New Jersey and though his Marine Company was in reserve and not called upon until the 11 of June 1918; at night between the 6th and 10th he and two Sergeants would sneak out at night and attempt rescue efforts on injured Marines; there were stories in these early days of the battle to which full companies were rescued by the disobedience of orders. On one such evening during a rescue attempt – Private Steck and the two Sergeants came across a German Officer that was seated comfortably with his knees crossed. In front of this officer was spread “a little field table on which was cake, jam, cookies, and a fine array of food. A knife and fork was in either hand.” Private Steck goes on to write that “…there was a bulky German Sergeant next to the officer who had been knitting socks – the needles were still in his fingers – but both of their heads had been blown off.” The Bois de Belleau was not an excessively large area and yet this section along with Château Thierry was in fact the pathway to Paris – the Germans had the desire to do in the First World War and worse what they accomplished in the Franco-Prussian War some 40+ years earlier.
There is one overarching fact that cannot be ignored during this conflict; one that General Catlin honestly didn’t see while he wrote this book. The story of Krupp Armaments – Krupp essentially had the market cornered globally prior to the First World War. So much so that when the war ended Krupp was paid £47,000 from the British for expended shells at a cost of 1 schilling 3 pence per each. There is controversy around this total today, but Barbara Tuchman and William Manchester seem to be the sources on this. Manchester had unbridled access to Krupp in the late 1950’s – to early 1960’s while he was writing “Arms of Krupp”. Knowing William Manchester (also author of “Last Lion” first two volumes and research for the third) he would have well researched the financial data accordingly; I for one do not dispute this value earned back to Krupp following the war. Today there is controversy in this matter - in particular MUN 4, as contract prices were complex and could change. The Coventry Ordnance Works Limited is but one company – Whitworth’s was the other that used Krupp shells and fuses. With regard to Krupp fuses, Coventry Ordnance Works and Whitworth's believed they had a legal obligation to pay royalties to Krupp but were prevented from doing so by the British Government who invoked the Trading with the Enemy Act. At some point a historian should commit an effort to either supporting Tuchman/Manchester or dispute this matter with facts – again, I am of the mind that Manchester compiled the correct information and reviewed it thoroughly.
Prior to going into a conclusion on this book some interesting notes on General Catlin. He was an 1890 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy - As a young Lieutenant, Catlin was the Officer in Charge of the Marine Detachment aboard the USS Maine when the ship was blown – his account makes no question this ship was destructed by opposition forces in Cuba. He floated the Atlantic for three years up to 1914 and once the war started in Europe he had the foresight to develop his acuity to meet what he saw was coming down the pike for the United States. His story is an interesting one – one that should be developed by a quality author in the near future I would hope. Inside the book he gave enough background and history to the public on the U.S. Marine Corps – I question how much interest there could have been in this arena when isolation was the word of the day by the time the work came out. Prohibition was in full force thanks to the 40 year earlier attempts of the Temperance Movement and the Twenty First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution – a movement and law that led to more internal crime than what had ever been intended with the passage of the same.
The last 10 pages of the book are General Catlin’s personal reflections; some of them held true flash-forward viewpoints he could never have then realized. To the best of information available it looks to be a work completed in 1919 – but the reprints have seemingly missed incorporating the first edition. In a post war reflection General Catlin writes: “As for the Nation, I am not surprised Americans were slow to wake up to the necessity of preparedness, for they did not believe in burglars. It took a lot to convince them. But, perhaps the lesson has been learned and the Nation will never become quite so completely demobilized again. So long as human nature is what it is, so long as there is a bare possibility that burglars like the Potsdam gang may be in existence somewhere, it is best to be ready.” General Catlin would not be alive on 7 December 1941 – I for one would have liked to have possibly read his Post World War II perspective. The review ends with a quote as much as it opened up with one. Wonderful read – any person interested in reading about the First World War in honor of the sacrifices made by a lost generation – should read this book to provide a balance to many other works.
May 22, 2020
Wonderful book about WWI
This book has many new insights about WWI that I did not know. The personal stories of some of the people and the fact that it was written a year after the Great War by a man who was there.
This book has many new insights about WWI that I did not know. The personal stories of some of the people and the fact that it was written a year after the Great War by a man who was there.
June 21, 2017
Colonel Catlin was the commander of the Sixth Marines in 1918. He was there at Chateau Thierry and was taken out by a sniper at the beginning of the Belleau Wood fight. The language of the book is more 19th Century than 20th. He has an officer's perspective and it shows throughout the volume. He uses secondary sources effectively (mostly letters home from enlisted men).
January 24, 2019
An account written by a Marine for Marines
I gained a better understanding of the Belleau Wood battle, but I heartily doubt our Marines went into battle with the Viking-like bloodlust and joy the author describes. The simplistic summary found at the back of the book of all things political, economic, social, and military can be skipped. It's the author's unresearched opinion. Still I liked the book. It's highly readable and had it used some maps to display the unfamiliar French countryside I'd of given it 5 stars.
I gained a better understanding of the Belleau Wood battle, but I heartily doubt our Marines went into battle with the Viking-like bloodlust and joy the author describes. The simplistic summary found at the back of the book of all things political, economic, social, and military can be skipped. It's the author's unresearched opinion. Still I liked the book. It's highly readable and had it used some maps to display the unfamiliar French countryside I'd of given it 5 stars.
March 7, 2018
lesson for the future
the heart of the American Marine the heart of all American fighting men. Disciplined free will. Spirit some would say. Are we so individual today so selfish.Many years many wars later. Can we say we are still strong.
the heart of the American Marine the heart of all American fighting men. Disciplined free will. Spirit some would say. Are we so individual today so selfish.Many years many wars later. Can we say we are still strong.
August 17, 2018
Stand proud to be an American!
An excellent account of the horror of battle and the nameless heroes who sacrifice everything for the love of country and freedom. A must read for those who have "never been proud of their country"!
An excellent account of the horror of battle and the nameless heroes who sacrifice everything for the love of country and freedom. A must read for those who have "never been proud of their country"!
November 1, 2019
Just Wow! Should be Required Reading of Every High School Senior
This story of the first World War is great. The principles and ideas expressed in the stories of our Marines need to be read today so that they can be reminded of why America is exceptional.
This story of the first World War is great. The principles and ideas expressed in the stories of our Marines need to be read today so that they can be reminded of why America is exceptional.
August 20, 2018
Real presentation
Reveals what a marine is. Very well written. I enjoyed the use of many references.
Being a retired Navy type, I could picture many of the things he described,
Reveals what a marine is. Very well written. I enjoyed the use of many references.
Being a retired Navy type, I could picture many of the things he described,
November 25, 2018
If you've ever wanted to understand the mindset of a Marine, this is the book to read.
December 3, 2022
Good account of the battle and the makeup of the men who fought these critical battles. Astounding; I didn't know they made balls that big.
March 13, 2017
He who sheds his blood with me shall always be my brother.
Little did the Marines knew what awaited them in the early 1940's. The Marine Corps is a brotherhood. I enjoyed the book but I was a little skeptical about how happy these men were to go into battle. I've seen Marines go into battle and none of them looked happy.
Little did the Marines knew what awaited them in the early 1940's. The Marine Corps is a brotherhood. I enjoyed the book but I was a little skeptical about how happy these men were to go into battle. I've seen Marines go into battle and none of them looked happy.
January 2, 2017
A good first hand account of Marines in WW I
Very enjoyable read by someone who was there in Europe and had first hand knowledge of the War and how it was fought.
Very enjoyable read by someone who was there in Europe and had first hand knowledge of the War and how it was fought.
February 22, 2017
The Marine
I was a little confused when I started the book as to which time frame he spoke, past that I really enjoyed the stories it told
I was a little confused when I started the book as to which time frame he spoke, past that I really enjoyed the stories it told
February 25, 2017
This interested book written by the on those times Colonel and later on Brigadier General Albertus Catlin USMC, can be divided in two main areas: The first one is an extensive and detailed narration of the battle accomplished in the year 1918 at Belleau Wood, 35 miles northwest of Paris, during the 1st World War. The second area is a summarized history of the USMC since its organization on November 10, 1775 until 1919 and a short but keen study by the author of the consequences that USA participation on that war would bring to the future of this country.
The mentioned first area sometimes becomes heavy and bored due to the meticulous description of the fighting related with this battle, which was so important for the destiny of the war that the Belleau Wood (Bois de Belleau) was afterward renamed by the French as Bois de la Brigade de Marine in memory of the tenacity the Marine Corps fought there until its recovery from the German army.
Reading of this book should be recommended to anyone interested in learning about the penalties suffered by the warriors and the bravery, performance and discipline of the USMC members.
The mentioned first area sometimes becomes heavy and bored due to the meticulous description of the fighting related with this battle, which was so important for the destiny of the war that the Belleau Wood (Bois de Belleau) was afterward renamed by the French as Bois de la Brigade de Marine in memory of the tenacity the Marine Corps fought there until its recovery from the German army.
Reading of this book should be recommended to anyone interested in learning about the penalties suffered by the warriors and the bravery, performance and discipline of the USMC members.
October 27, 2016
This book started off kinda slow but really picked up half-way through. It is an excellent account of the Marines battle of Belau Wood and a great view of the Marine Corps in general from the point of view of a Marine Officer in World War I. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is in the Marine Corps now or ever has been. I am not sure if this is on the Commandant's Reading List but if it is not, it should be.
January 18, 2017
This book was outstanding to read. It taught me a lot that i didn't know. The rating i gave was because it was easy to understand. I liked the whole book. All my friends and reading club.
All my marine friends will be happy to read this book. I will present them with it tomorrow at the donut shop.
All my marine friends will be happy to read this book. I will present them with it tomorrow at the donut shop.
November 25, 2016
A very good book everyone should read it.
The story about the Marines in Bella woods was very interesting and I couldn't put it down an till I finished it. It made me remember when I was a Marine we did what we were told.
The story about the Marines in Bella woods was very interesting and I couldn't put it down an till I finished it. It made me remember when I was a Marine we did what we were told.
July 30, 2016
Semper Fi and the United States Marines explained by an expert. exle
October 7, 2016
Interesting Book
But full of super patriotic hyperbole at the end. The interesting thing is the book was written by the Marine commander, so it is a different perspective.
But full of super patriotic hyperbole at the end. The interesting thing is the book was written by the Marine commander, so it is a different perspective.
October 17, 2025
The Great War to end all Wars
For those of us living today it is good reminder of this terrible conflict and how it still has repercussion today.
For those of us living today it is good reminder of this terrible conflict and how it still has repercussion today.
March 26, 2017
Semper fi
Best book I ever read on the life of a marine in WWI. I also loved the chapter on making a marine.
Best book I ever read on the life of a marine in WWI. I also loved the chapter on making a marine.
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April 23, 2019Brigadier General Catlin's "With The Help Of Gods And A Few Marines" offers a view of Marines that most people of the time, and even people of today, have never seen. A common Nickname for Marines is "jarhead". But in this book, Brigadier General Catlin describes his Marines as skilled fighting men with an education. As the younger brother of a marine currently in the 3'6, this read has given me a very interesting learning experience about the history of not only my brother's unit, but of the Marine Corps as a whole. After learning about the "devil dogs" at Belleau Wood, I can understand my Brothers intense pride as being part of "The Original Teufel Hunden". But this pride is not only felt by my brother. My father, two uncles, step brother, brother, and eventually myself are all filled with pride for being part of America's most feared organization for the Marines at Belleau Wood paved a new path to help create the modern Marine Corps.
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