A Guide to the American Battle Fields in Europe
Washington DC: United States Government Printing Office, 1927. First Edition, First printing (per Preface page vi). Hardcover. [2], vi, 282 pages plus three large folding maps in rear pocket (of St. Mihiel,Chateau Thierry, and the 1918 Meuse-Argonne offensive). Sticker of previous owner inside front cover and on two of the maps in pocket. Cover worn. Illustrated with photographs and maps in the text (including fold-outs with some color). Index. The contents include Preface, Chapters on: The World War to May 29, 1918; American Operations in the Aisne-Marne Area; The American Attach at St. Mihiel; The Meuse-Argonne Operations; American Operations in the Champagne Region; American Operations North of Paris; Sector Occupation by American Divisions; Services of Supply; Operations of the United States Navy in the World War; American Military Cemeteries in Europe; American Project for Memorials in Europe; After the Armistice; General Information (including insignia and glossary), and an Index. The publication of this guide coincided with the 10th anniversary year of the arrival of the initial contingents of the American Expeditionary Forces in Europe and also coincided with veteran initiated personal travel and also with the start of the government provided trips to the graves of American service members that occurred between 1927 and 1931. The Preface states that: This book has been prepared for the purpose of making available an accurate guide to the American Battle Fields in Europe. For the convenience of the tourist its size has been limited to one small volume (its format is approx. 5.5 inches by 8.25 inches.) The publication was expedited to have it available for the large numbers who intended to go to Europe. This copy was from the collection of Peter J. Linder of Ellicott City, Maryland. Peter J. Linder was educated at Princeton University (1949 AB) and Syracuse University (1954, MA). Peter served in the Army National Guard. He was an avid genealogist and performed extensive research on World War I casualties. The American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) is an independent agency of the United States government that administers, operates, and maintains permanent U.S. military cemeteries, memorials and monuments both inside and outside the United States. As of 2018, there are 26 cemeteries and 29 memorials, monuments and markers under the care of the ABMC. There are more than 140,000 U.S. servicemen and servicewomen interred at the cemeteries, and more than 94,000 missing in action, or lost or buried at sea are memorialized on cemetery Walls of the Missing and on 3 memorials in the United States. The ABMC also maintains an online database of names associated with each site. The ABMC was established by the United States Congress in 1923. Its purpose is to:
Commemorate the services of the U.S. armed forces where they have served since April 6, 1917;
Establish suitable War memorials; designing, constructing, operating, and maintaining permanent U.S. military burial grounds in foreign countries;
Control the design and construction of U.S. military monuments and markers in foreign countries by other U.S. citizens and organizations, both public and private;
Encourage the maintenance of such monuments and markers by their sponsors.
The United States Department of War established eight European burial grounds for World War I. The ABMC's first program was landscaping and erecting non-sectarian chapels at each of the eight sites, constructing 11 separate monuments and two tablets at other sites in Europe, and constructing the Allied Expeditionary Forces World War I Memorial in Washington, D.C. For those buried who could not be identified during World War I, a percentage were commemorated by Star of David markers, rather than a cross; this practice was not continued for those who could not be identified during World War II. In 1934, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed an executive order transferring control of the eight cemeteries to the ABMC, and made the commission responsible for the design, construction, maintenance and operation of all future permanent American military burial grounds outside the United States. Condition: Good.
Keywords: WWI, First World War, American Expeditionary Forces, Aisne-Marne, St. Mihiel, Meuse-Argonne, First Army, 42d Division, 2d Division, 36th Division, Lost Battalion, 77th Division, 368th Infantry, Champagne Operations, le Cateau, Somme, Cantigny, Milita
[Book #82322]
Price: $125.00