On the west side of the road.

Monument

It consists of a massive granite Doric column, surmounted by a statue symbolic of liberty, which towers more than 200-feet above the war ruins of the former village. It commemorates the American victory during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive which lasted from September 26, 1918 to November 11, 1918, when the American First Army forced the enemy to conduct a general retreat on this front.

On the walls of the foyer there is an engraved map of the operations with a narrative and a special tribute to the American troops who served here. The observation platform on top of the memorial is reached by 234 steps and affords magnificent views of this battlefield.

On the outside wall from left to right:

On the base of the walls, left:

On the base of the walls, right:

Architect’s block:

A.D. 1933

AMERICAN BATTLE MONUMENT

COMMISSION

JOHN RUSSEL POPE - ARCHITECT

On the floor in front of the entrance door, the English inscription reads:

ERECTED BY THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

TO COMMEMORATE THE BRILLIANT VICTORY OF

HER FIRST ARMY IN THE MEUSE-ARGONNE OFFENSIVE

SEPTEMBER 26 - NOVEMBER 11 1918, AND TO HONOR

THE HEROIC SERVICES OF THE ARMIES OF FRANCE

ON THIS IMPORTANT BATTLE FRONT DURING

THE WORLD WAR I

_______________________________________

ON THE WALLS INSIDE

Wall 1:

DURING SEPTEMBER SEPTEMBER 1918 THE ALLIED FORCE

LAUNCHED A GENERAL OFFENSIVE AGAINST THE

GERMAN ARMIES ON THE WESTERN FRONT. IN

THIS OPERATION THE AMERICAN FIRST ARMY

WAS ASSIGNED THE TASK OF BREAKING THROUGH

THE EXTREMELY STRONG AND VITAL PORTION OF

THE ENEMY DEFENSIVE SYSTEM LYING BETWEEN

THE MEUSE RIVER AND THE ARGONNE FOREST.

THE AMERICAN ATTACK STARTED ON SEPTEMBER

26 AND AFTER TWO DAYS INTENSE FIGHTING

MONTFAUCON UPON WHICH THIS MONUMENT STANDS

WAS CAPTURED. BY SEPTEMBER 30 THE ENEMY

HAD BEEN DRIVEN BACK SIX MILES. THE GERMAN

TROOPS DEFENDED EACH POSITION TO THE UTMOST

AND MANY DIVISIONS WERE RUSHED TO THEIR

SUPPORT FROM OTHER BATTLE FRONTS.

THE BATTLE CONTINUED THROUGHOUT OCTOBER

AGAINST DESPERATE RESISTANCE. A BRILLIANT

ADVANCE DOWN THE AIRE VALLEY MADE IT

POSSIBLE TO OUTFLANK AND CAPTURE THE

ARGONNE FOREST. THE ATTACK THEN SPREAD

EAST OF THE MEUSE WHERE SEVERE FIGHTING

OCCURRED. THE PROLONGED STRUGGLES FOR

THE STRONGLY FORTIFIED GERMAN MAIN LINE

OF DEFENSE ON THE HEIGHTS NEAR BRIEULLES

CUNEL AND ROMAGNE WERE UNSURPASSED IN FURY

BUT BY OCTOBER 14 THIS LINE HAD BEEN BROKEN

AND THE END OF THE MONTH FOUND IT AND

THE VILLAGES OF ST. JUVIN AND GRAND-PRE

SECURELY IN THE GRASP OF THE AMERICAN ARMY.

ON NOVEMBER 1 THE ARMY LAUNCHED ITS LAST

GREAT ATTACK. THE DOMINATING HEIGHTS NEAR

BARRICOURT WERE CAPTURED AND THE ENEMY WAS

DRIVEN BEYOND THE MEUSE RIVER. THESE

SUCCESSES AND THOSE OF THE ALLIES ON OTHER

BATTLEFIELDS COMPELLED THE GERMANS TO ASK

FOR AN IMMEDIATE ARMISTICE WHICH BECAME

EFFECTIVE ON NOVEMBER II 1918.

DURING FORTY-SEVEN DAYS OF CONTINUAL

BATTLE ON THIS FRONT THE FIRST ARMY

ADVANCED 35 MILES CAPTURED 26000 MEN

874 CANNON AND 3000 MACHINE GUNS. AT

ITS MAXIMUM STRENGTH THE ARMY COMPRISED

MORE THAN 1000000 SOLDIERS. THE AMERICAN

BATTLE CASUALTIES WERE 122000.

Wall 2:

MEUSE-ARGONNE REGION

(-map here-)

LARGE NUMERALS INDICATE DIVISIONS WHICH CAPTURED

THE AREAS SHOWN.    SMALL NUMERALS INDICATE

PARTS OF DIVISIONS WHICH ASSISTED OTHER UNITS

DIVISION BOUNDARY (-legend-)            LINE OF RELIEF (-legend-)

AMERICAN MONUMENT (-legend-)      AMERICAN CEMETERY (-legend-)

FR - FRENCH DIVISION SERVING UNDER AMERICAN COMMAND

COL - COLONIAL             KILOMETERS (-legend-)             MILES (-legend-)

Wall 3:

THE MEUSE-ARGONNE BATTLE

PRESENTED NUMEROUS DIFFICULTIES

SEEMINGLY INSURMOUNTABLE. THE

SUCCESS STANDS OUT AS ONE OF THE

GREAT ACHIEVEMENTS IN THE HISTORY

OF AMERICAN ARMS. SUDDENLY

CONCEIVED AND HURRIED IN PLAN

AND PREPARATION: COMPLICATED

BY CLOSE ASSOCIATION WITH A

PRECEDING MAJOR OPERATION;

DIRECTED AGAINST STUBBORN

DEFENSE OF THE VITAL POINT OF

THE WESTERN FRONT; AND ATTENDED

BY COLD AND INCLEMENT WEATHER;

THIS BATTLE WAS PROSECUTED WITH

AN UNSELFISH AND HEROIC SPIRIT

OF COURAGE AND FORTITUDE WHICH

DEMANDED EVENTUAL VICTORY.

PHYSICALLY STRONG, VIRILE, AND

AGGRESIVE. THE MORALE OF THE

AMERICAN SOLDIER DURING THIS

MOST TERRIFYING PERIOD WAS SUPERB

IN THEIR DEVOTION, THEIR VALOR,

AND IN THE LOYAL FULFILLMENT OF

THEIR OBLIGATIONS. THE OFFICERS AND

MEN OF THE AMERICAN EXPEDITIONARY

FORCES HAVE LEFT A HERITAGE OF

WHICH THOSE WHO FOLLOW MAY EVER

BE PROUD.

(-Pershing signature-)

GENERAL, COMMANDER IN CHIEF

AMERICAN EXPEDITIONARY FORCES