LETTER OF COMMENDATION SENT TO THE 42ND DIVISION

HEADQUARTERS, 42ND DIVISION, AMERICAN EXPEDITIONARY FORCES, FRANCE

AUGUST 30, 1918

To the Officers and Men of the 42nd Division:

A year has elapsed since the formation of your organization, it is therefore fitting to consider what you have accomplished as a combat division and what you should prepare to accomplish in the future.

Your first elements entered the trenches in Lorraine on February 21. You served on that front for 110 days. You were the first American Division to hold a divisional sector, and when you left the sector June 21 you had served continuously as a division, although you entered the sector without experience in actual warfare. You so conducted yourselves as to win the respect and affection of the French Veterans with whom you fought under gas and bombardment. In raids, in patrols, in the heat of the hand to hand combat and in the long dull hours of trench routine, is trying to a soldier’s spirits, you bore yourselves in a manner worthy of the traditions of our country. You were withdrawn from Lorraine and moved immediately to the Champaigne front where during the critical days from July 14th to July 16th, you had the honor of being the only American Division to fight in General Gourand’s army, which so gloriously obeyed his orders, “We wil lstand [sic] or die,” and by its iron defense crushed the German assault and made possible the offensive of July 18th to the west of Rheims.

From Champaigne you were called to take part in exploiting the success north of the Marne. Fresh from the battle front before Chalons, you were thrown against the picked troops of Germany. For eight consecutive days you attacked skillfully prepared positions, you captured great stores of arms and ammunition, you fought the crossing of the Oureq, you took hill 21-E and Sangydourey by assault. You drove the enemy including an imperial guard division before you for a depth of fifteen killometers [sic]. When your infantry was relieved, it was in full pursuit of the retreating Germans and your artillery continued to progress and support another American Division in the advance to the Vasle.

For your services in Lorraine your division was formally commended in general orders by the French Army Carpo, under which you served. For your services in Champagne, your assembled officers received the personal thanks and commendation of General Gourand himself. To your success, all ranks and all services have contributed and I desire to express to every man in the command my appreciation of his devoted and courageous effort. However, our position places a burden of responsibility upon us which we must strive to bear steadily forward, without faltering.

To our comrades who have fallen we owe the sacred obligation of maintaining the reputation which they died to establish. The influence of our performance on our Allies and our enemies cannot be over estimated for we were one of the first division sent from our country to France to show the world that Americans do fight.

Hard battles and long campaigns lie before us only by ceasless [sic] vigilance and tireless preparation can we fit ourselves for them. I urge you, therefore, to approach the future with confidence but above all with firm determination that so far as it is in your power, you will spare no effort whether in training or in combat to maintain the record of our Division and the honor of our country.

CHARLES T. MENCHER, Major General U. S. Army