Posted: | August 13, 2019 09:02 AM |
---|---|
From: | Senator Doug Mastriano |
To: | All Senate members |
Subject: | Pennsylvania’s contribution to the Meuse-Argonne Offensive: America’s Greatest Battle |
In the near future, I will be introducing a resolution to commemorate Pennsylvania’s contribution to the Allied victory in the First World War. The 26th of September marks the 101st anniversary of the start of the Meuse-Argonne Offensive: the largest and costliest battle ever fought by the armed forces of the United States. This grand offensive was based on an assessment by the Supreme Allied Commander Ferdinand Foch that the German Army had lost its momentum, which created an opportunity to finally end the war in the fall of 1918. The most difficult sector of the Allied lines – the dense Argonne Forest and the vast Meuse River valley – was assigned to the American Expeditionary Forces under General John J. Pershing. Pennsylvania soldiers assigned to the 28th, 79th and 80th Divisions played a pivotal role in smashing the heavily defended German lines from September 26th through the end of the war on November 11th. The toll of Pennsylvania’s contribution to victory was a heavy one. In total, more than 297,000 Pennsylvanians served in the Great War, with 10,278 soldiers dying and 26,252 wounded. The goal of my resolution is to bring more attention to Pennsylvania’s military history. Please join me in co-sponsoring this resolution. If you have any questions, please contact Scot Pitzer in my office at 717-787-4651. |
Introduced as SR221