Sgt. Raymond P. Cronin - United States Marine Corps
49th Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Regiment
American Expeditionary Force
(1917-1918)
Raymond Paul Cronin was born on
September 6, 1893, the son of John W. and Edna A. Cronin. The Cronin
family was part of the initial wave of homeowners in the up-and-coming
community of Brookline, settling at 1503 Berkshire Avenue. They were
also some of the original members of Resurrection Parish.
In March 1917, Raymond had recently
returned home after a four-year enlistment in the U. S. Marine Corps and
was an employee of the U. S. Postal Service.
On April 6, 1917, the United States
of America declared war on the Empire of Germany and entered into the
global conflict that had been raging abroad for the past three years. Two
days later, while many of Brookline’s young men were joining the call to
arms, twenty-three year old Raymond re-enlisted in the United States Marine
Corps. On April 28th he was assigned to the USS New Hampshire, based in
Norfolk, Virginia, and promoted to Corporal.
The Secretary of War made a formal
request to President Woodrow Wilson that a regiment of Marines be included
in the first contingent of troops sent to France. On May 27, the
President directed the Secretary of the Navy "to issue the necessary orders
detaching for service with the Army a force of Marines to be known as the
Fifth Regiment of Marines."
This unit was rapidly organized in
Quantico, Virginia with Marines stationed in the U.S., Cuba, Santo Domingo,
Haiti, and from various shipboard detachments. Added to this contingent of
veteran soldiers was a liberal amount of raw recruits necessary to bring the
regiment up to strength. Among the veteran Marines was Cpl. Raymond Cronin,
who was assigned to the 49th Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Regiment
(1/5).
CROSSING THE POND
The 1st Battalion arrived in
Philadelphia on June 11 and boarded the USS DeKalb, a former German mail
ship once called Prinz Eitel Friedrich that was interned in 1915. The
DeKalb embarked for New York Harbor the following day. When the DeKalb
arrived outside New York, it anchored next to the Statue of
Liberty.
Two days later, a convoy of ships
set sail for St. Nazaire, France. During the two-week voyage, Cpl. Cronin
was kept busy with compulsory shipboard drills, guard mount, frequent
inspections, target practice, maintenance of clothing and equipment,
lookout duties and details as a gun crew member.
Marines boarding The USS DeKalb,
on June 12, 1917. The ship set sail that day from Philadelphia
harbor.
The trip across the Atlantic was
accomplished without loss of life from enemy causes, despite a pair of
encounters with German U-Boats. The 1st Battalion arrived at St. Nazaire
in western France on June 26. President Wilson directed that the 5th Marine
Regiment was to serve as part of an Army force, and the regiment was
assigned to the U.S. 1st Division.
Cpl. Cronin’s battalion disembarked
with little fanfare on the same day and marched five miles to the western
outskirts of the city, to a British campground known as Base Camp #1. This
was to be their home for the next couple of weeks. The Marines primarily
busied themselves with marches and close order drills, sometimes marching
back to the docks to spend time unloading ships.
U.S. Marines at Base
Camp #1 in early-July 1917.
TRAINING FOR WAR
On July 15, the regiment moved to
the vicinity of Gondrecourt in eastern France for its initial training as
a part of the U.S. 1st Division. On the 21st, units of the 6th Groupe de
Chasseurs Alpines, considered by the French to be among the finest units
in their Army, were assigned as instructors for the regiment.
Instruction centered around the
various phases of offensive and defensive trench warfare, including trench
construction, grenade throwing, bayonet fighting, gas mask drill, weapons
firing at land targets and airplanes, artillery and artillery-infantry
demonstrations.
During this time they were visited
by many military dignitaries, including General Pershing, Commanding
General of the American Expeditionary Force, the U.S. 1st Division
Commander, and General Philippe Petain, the Commander-in-Chief of all
French Forces.
In September 1917, the 5th Regiment
was reassigned to serve with the U.S. 2nd Division and moved south
twenty-two miles to Bourmont. A month later, the regiment became part of
the 4th Brigade of United States Marines, one of the two infantry brigades
in the 2nd Division. In December, regimental maneuvers were conducted after
the battalions had been trained in the relief of units in trenches and had
held joint maneuvers with French troops.
It was during the early days of 1918
that Cpl. Raymond Cronin distinguished himself as a fine soldier and a
competent leader. On February 12, he was promoted to Sergeant and assigned
as one of the Section Leaders in the 49th Company.
On March 8, the 2nd Division was
ordered to the front. They entered the frontline trenches in the Toulon
Sector. Initially the 5th Regiment occupied the trenches centered near
Les Esparges, in a quiet area twelve miles southeast of Verdun. In these
areas Marines put to use against a live enemy the lessons they had learned
in Bourmont against a simulated or an imaginary foe.
The procedure each regiment used
was to have one battalion enter the trenches, opposite the German lines,
remain for a specified time, then take relief from one of the two reserve
battalions. Reserve troops, meanwhile, kept busy improving and repairing
existing trenches and dugouts, digging new trenches, and stringing and
repairing barbed wire entanglements.
Although some units in the division
saw real action against the Germans, for Sgt. Raymond Cronin and the 49th
Company, things were much quieter. They saw no enemy contact while in the
trenches, and only sporadic shelling. In their area, the German trenches
were quite distant, so far that they were difficult to see, even with
field glasses.
U.S. Marines gathered in a French
town during training exercises in May 1918.
The 5th Regiment departed the Toulon
Sector in mid-May, and proceeded to the Gizors training area, thirty-eight
miles northwest of Paris. Here, the regiment engaged in ten days of open
warfare training under the most hospitable conditions. The terrain was
adequate, the surroundings beautiful, the weather enjoyable, liberty was
available, and their spirits were high. Things would change dramatically
very soon.
THE GERMAN SPRING OFFENSIVE
In March 1918, with nearly fifty
additional divisions freed by the Russian surrender on the Eastern Front,
the Imperial German Army launched a series of large-scale offensives
(The Spring Offensive of 1918) along the Western Front, hoping to
decisively defeat the Allies before the U.S. forces could be fully
deployed. It began with the Somme Offensive on March 21, then the Lys Offensive on April 9. Both offensives gained ground in
ways that threatened to break the back of the English defenses.
While the English struggled to meet
the demands of these two breakthroughs, the Germans launched the Aisne Offensive on May 27. This third offensive, launched
against the war-weary French between Soissons and Reims saw the Germans
quickly reach the north bank of the Marne River at Château-Thierry, only
forty miles northeast of Paris. The pivotal engagements that followed are
often referred to as the Second Battle of the Marne.
The enemy advance was held at
Château-Thierry and the Germans turned right towards Vaux and Belleau
Wood. The situation had become desperate. The French and English
commands were stretched to the breaking point. It was feared that if
the Germans captured Paris then the French troops would lay down their
arms and the entire western front could collapse.
Because of this, the sense of
urgency was keen among both the attacking Germans and the defending
French. It appeared that the climactic moment in the four year Great
War was at hand, and it might take a miracle to save the day. That
miracle would come in the form of the United States Marine Corps
Leatherneck.
MARINES CALLED TO ACTION
Suddenly, on May 30, the 2nd
Division, now assigned to the French XXI Corps, French Sixth Army,
received orders for movement eastward to stem the flow of onrushing
Germans. What was supposed to be a day of rest in observance of the
United States Decoration Day (Memorial Day) for the Americans quickly
became one of frenzied activity.
Artillery, horses and supplies were
jammed into railroad cars, then the Marines of Sgt. Cronin’s 49th Company
ate a healthy breakfast, their last hot meal for several days. At 06:00
they left the Gizors area in trucks loaded with 18 to 24 men each, destined
for the front lines. The ride was bumpy and uncomfortable.
A convoy of trucks carrying
soldiers to the front line.
As part of a sixteen mile long
convoy of trucks, the 49th Company rode for thirty hours to reach its
destination. Along the way the company passed through several quaint
villages where the locals waved enthusiastically and threw flowers into
the trucks.
Retreating Allied soldiers and
fleeing civilians choked the suburban Paris roads on which the convoy
passed. After reaching Meaux, twenty-five miles northeast of Paris, the
regiment continued on foot. Marching was made most difficult by the heavy
loads on the backs of the Marines, the long grades over the dusty roads,
the intolerably hot weather, and the sight of the physically tired and
visibly dejected French soldiers who were in general
retreat.
As the Marines came closer to the
battle front, the sounds of war became louder and louder. The steady
drum beat of the distant artillery was a constant reminder of what lie
ahead. Every so often they would hear a thunderous boom. There was also
a dirty haze visible on the horizon from the rising plumes of
smoke.
Another interesting sight was
occurring overhead in the form of the bright multi-colored planes of the
German Air Force, all adorned with the Black Cross on their fuselage.
Most were bi-planes and a few were tri-planes. Once commanded by the
late-Baron von Richtofen, the "Flying Circus" had almost free reign in
the skies over the battlefield due to the lack of Allied planes in this
sector of the front.
THE BATTLE OF BELLEAU WOOD
On June 1, Chateau-Thierry and
Vaux fell, and German troops moved into Belleau Wood. The U.S. 2nd Division,
with the 4th Brigade of U.S. Marines, was brought up along the Paris-Metz
highway. The 9th U.S. Army Infantry Regiment was placed between the highway
and the Marne, while the 6th Marine Regiment was deployed to their left.
The 5th Marine and 23rd U.S. Army Infantry regiments were placed in
reserve.
Sergeants saluting, U.S Marines stand
in review alongside French soldiers before moving to the front
lines.
Before dawn on June 2, the 1st
Battalion was ordered to the front to assist the French in holding back
the enemy and covering the withdrawal of French units still engaged.
They began a six mile hike northwest through several eerily deserted
villages, ending at the small town of Bois de Veuilly. Finally, in the
early daylight they filled a gap in the French line and began taking
selected aimed shots at the enemy.
When the sun set that evening, the
American forces held a twelve mile front line north of the Paris-Metz
Highway, running through grain fields and scattered woods, from Triangle
Farm west to Lucy and then north to Hill 142. The German line opposite
them ran from Vaux to Bouresches to Belleau.
German stormtroopers filter into
the area around Belleau Wood in early-June 1918.
The Germans were unaware that the
Americans had entered the fight and were perplexed as to how their men
were being shot and killed up to 800 yards from the front. This was unlike
anything they had ever witnessed from the French snipers. By mid-afternoon,
the 49th Company and the rest of the 1st Battalion were called back into
reserve.
By the next morning, the last of the
withdrawing French elements had passed through the Marine lines. Fortunately
for the Allies, the German advance had been so swift that their support
artillery, food and ammunition trains were lagging far behind the front
line troops. They needed to regroup for the final thrust on Paris. Despite
these logistical difficulties, the veteran vanguard units were ordered to
continue probing forward against the weak and demoralized French
defenders.
GERMAN DRIVE HALTED
In the afternoon of June 3, expecting
token French resistance, the elite stormtroopers of the Prussian Guard
attacked through the grain fields with bayonets fixed. The Marine riflemen
waited until the Germans were within 100 yards before opening a deadly hail
of accurate fire which mowed down several waves of German infantry and
forced the survivors to retreat into the woods.
Having suffered heavy casualties,
shocked by the unexpected presence of the American forces, and in overall
need of reorganization, the Germans halted their drive on June 4 and dug
in along a defensive perimeter from that extended from Hill 204, just east
of Vaux, to Le Thiolet on the Paris-Metz Highway and northward through
Belleau Wood to Torcy.
On June 5, Sgt. Cronin and the 49th
Company found themselves in thick woods on an elevated ridge known as Hill
176. From this vantage point they could look down upon the enemy activity
along Hill 142. The dug-in Germans continued mounting brief probing
activities and pounded the Allied positions with long-range high explosive
artillery. Called "sea bags," the sound of these approaching nine-inch
shells tested the nerves of even the most hardened Marine.
With the rolling kitchens stationed
five miles to the rear, the men of the 49th Company had eaten little but
bread and hard-tack bacon for several days. The lack of food and incessant
artillery were causing extreme agitation. Sgt. Cronin and his fellow Marines
were itching for a fight, and that is exactly what they got.
BATTLE PLANS ARE DRAWN
The French Sixth Army command
ordered the XXI Corps to make two attacks on June 6. The first, in which
the 5th Regiment's 2nd Battalion took part, was intended to straighten the
corps front. The second was planned to reduce the German salient, which
now extended to Hill 142, Bois de Belleau (Belleau Wood), and the town of
Bouresches.
The 1st Battalion 5th Regiment was
assigned to clear Hill 142 of Germans and then join a coordinated thrust
towards the town of Torcy. The other regiments of the 2nd Division were to
advance through Belleau Wood and Bouresches. The die was cast, and soon
Sgt. Raymond P. Cronin of the 49th Company were about to enter into one of
the United States Marine Corps' most famous fights.
Facing the Marines in Belleau Wood
and the surrounding area were some of the best fighting units Germany had
to offer. These highly respected and proven warriors maintained professional
pride and instilled fear in anyone who opposed them. Defending Hill 142
were the German 273rd and 460th Regiments, with the 192nd and 193rd
Regiments in reserve.
The 1st Battalion attack was to
be launched at 03:45am on June 6, 1918. Captain George W. Hamilton,
commander of the 49th Company, woke his men early to ready them for battle.
Sgt. Cronin and the men were apprised of the plan and instructed to secure
their lighter twenty-pound combat packs, check their rifles, fix bayonets, add
an extra bandolier of ammunition, and get their minds straight.
To their front, the scattered wheat
of early summer was roughly thigh high, lush green and intermingled with
occasional clusters of blood-red poppies. Beyond the expanse of open
territory were elevated dense woods with many conifer trees that had been
well-maintained with selective cutting. There was very little distance
between each tree, and one could see only about fifteen to twenty feet
ahead.
The terrain around Belleau Wood was
open wheatfields and dense thickets of trees.
Around these woods were many thickets,
hollows and underbrush, as well as boulders and woodpiles that provided
perfect places to hide machine gun nests. This was the terrain that awaited
the men of the 49th Company as they moved against the German’s well-prepared
defensive positions.
ATTACK ON HILL 142
At shortly after 3 a.m. on June 6th,
Marines of the 49th and 67th Companies, both of the 1st Battalion, lay
hidden in position on either side of Hill 142 southwest of Belleau Wood.
According to the original plan, two additional companies, the 17th and 66th,
should have been in position to join the assault, but these units had not
yet been relieved by the French and were still deployed near Les Mares
Farm.
The assault was also to have been
supported by barrage fire from two companies of artillery and the 6th Machine
Gun Battalion. However, the majority of these units were also tied up elsewhere,
awaiting relief from the French. This meant that the two infantry companies
of the 1st Battalion were supported by just ten field guns of 15th Company
dug in behind them, between Champillon and Bois St. Martin.
At the designated time, there were
a few moments of light artillery fire in advance of the jump-off, which was
not very effective other than causing a commotion. When H-hour came, the
Marines were to have a French unit to their left in support, but they also
were not in position. At 03:50, without proper artillery or machine gun support,
and missing the French units to their left, the 49th Company began their
assault, as ordered, on Hill 142.
The plan was for the men to set off
in ranked straight line formation across the wheat field towards a ravine
and wooded tree line, as in military battles of old. The line formation in
waves was used in the Civil War and recently taught to a limited degree by
the French Chasseurs. The German defenders, used to facing weary French units,
did not expect a determined assault, especially by U.S. Marines eager for a
fight. It did not take long for this shock to wear off. The Germans soon
let loose a deadly hail of machine gun fire.
ADVANCING INTO A HAIL OF FIRE
Platoon leaders like Sgt. Raymond
Cronin, wearing their Sam Browne belts, were leading the way. This prominent
identification along with their forward movement was a special target for
German snipers, as well as the machine-gunners, therefore they were often
the first to fall as casualties. The advancing men hit the ground and hugged
the earth. The Germans aimed their gun barrels low. The men could feel their
backpacks being hit with bullets.
German machine gun nests brought a
hail of fire onto the advancing Marines.
German machine guns were everywhere.
They were positioned in trees, behind boulders and woodpiles, and in trenches.
Their deadly fire was tearing into the Marines. With men being shot and killed
all around him, 49th Company Commander, Captain Hamilton, rose and began running
through the field, encouraging each of his men to get up and make a dash for
the wooded objective.
The Marines had not equipped themselves
with mortars and grenades for this mission, and their best chance for survival
was in the woods. Their mad rush caught the German defenders by surprise.
When the Marines made contact with the enemy there appeared to be mass
confusion. However, in reality, this is what the Marines had been prepared
for.
U.S. Marines and German troops engage
in close combat during the Battle of Belleau Wood.
Undeterred by the deadly fire, the
Marines close-combat skills shocked even the battle-hardened Germans. A
few enemy leaped to their feet and ran. Those that did were usually fired
upon and killed. Some manned their machine guns until overcome by the
Marines. Others instantly surrendered, shouting “Kamarad!”
DEVIL DOGS
This was the type of rugged combat
where natural instincts and the survival of the fittest mentality took control
of the fight. It was every man for himself, kill or be killed. The Marines
continuous charge, audacity and fierce determination under such horrific
conditions, gave the Germans reason to call them “Teufel Hunden,”
translated to “Devil Dog.” One personal letter that was later retrieved from
the corpse of a German soldier, said, “These Americans are savages. They kill
everything that moves.”
Sgt. Cronin and the men of the 49th
Company performed admirably in the woods. Once the area was in control, it
was time to pursuing their next objective. They now had to venture out of
the trees and into the open again to close on the wooded Hill 142. Again
the Marines rushed through the open field. Three German machine gun companies
(the 9th, 10th, and 11th Companies of the 460th Regiment) and infantry
awaited the onrushing Americans.
As before, the German defenders were
overwhelmed and routed, but at a horrendous cost in life and limb. With the
main objective now in hand, the remaining men of the 49th Company, including
Sgt. Cronin, continued their advance to the outskirts of Torcy. Captain Hamilton,
still leading from the front, soon realized that adrenaline had taken them too
far. He ordered his Marines to fall back to the hill to regroup and establish
a defensive position in expectation of a German counterattack.
U.S. Marines rout the German defenders
around Belleau Wood, earning the nickname "Devil Dogs."
Still suffering from a deadly stream
of German defensive fire, Captain Hamilton organized the remaining men of the
two attacking Marine companies. Uncertain of where the supporting French
units were to his left, he sent out parties who attempted to establish
contact.
Two of these brave men that set out
under heavy fire to establish liaison with the nearby French units were Sgt.
Raymond P. Cronin and Sgt. Arthur F. Ware. Both of these soldiers, who had up
to now survived some of the most hellish wartime conditions, were shot dead
attempting to make contact with their allies. They were among the 333 killed,
wounded, and missing during the day’s battle for Hill 142.
The Germans launched five counterattacks
against the Marine positions on Hill 142. Each was repulsed. After each attack,
the Marines resumed digging in and awaiting further orders. Without word from
Sgt. Cronin or Sgt. Ware on the whereabouts of the French units, Captain
Hamilton spent that evening most concerned about his left flank. Luckily, the
Germans were also suffering symptoms of nervousness. They drew back into their
own hastily prepared defensive positions to await another mad rush from the
American Devil Dogs.
BLOODIEST BATTLE IN MARINE CORPS HISTORY
When the day of June 6, 1918 was over,
Hill 142 had been secured to a degree, and the Marines had established a firm
foothold in Belleau Wood. The casualty count (including all engagements around
Bois de Belleau), consisting of both wounded and killed was 31 officers and
1,056 men for a total of 1,087. This figure was more than the sum total of all
Marine casualties over their past 143-year history.
Despite all the tragic details there
was good news in that the Marines, in true fashion, had carried the day.
Their message was clear to the Germans, and the news reverberated back home
to America, and also east to Germany. The Marines had earned a measure of
respect from both friend and foe. Much of the credit for the day’s success
was owed to the basic training, grit and aggressiveness of each Marine
Leatherneck and his Springfield rifle.
The Germans may have lost control of
the elevated ridge, but they were not about to retreat or give up the thought
of retaking the Hill 142. It would take several more days of action before the
hill was finally secured. Claiming ultimate control of the Belleau Wood
territory was a separate issue.
U.S. Marine "Devil Dogs" and French
Poilus at the Battle of Belleau Wood.
Over the next twenty days the battle
for possession of the entire Belleau Wood landscape was ceded back and forth
several times. During this time, men from other battalions and companies
within the Marine Brigade performed admirably. Even so, German long-range
artillery persisted in harassing the Marines and the free-roaming planes of
the “Flying Circus” continually dropped bombs at the worst possible
moments.
On the morning of June 26, after
repulsing a few final half-hearted German thrusts at their lines, the Marines
succeeded in pushing the enemy from the area. For nearly a month, the
leathernecks had fought a tenacious foe and, when the guns fell silent,
had prevailed.
For the Americans, the cost to capture
Belleau Wood was terrible. Casualties totaled 9,777, including 1,811 killed.
Of that, the Marines suffered 4,298 dead, wounded or missing. Many of the dead
are buried in the nearby Aisne-Marne American Cemetery. No accurate count of
German fatalities was ever made. For the Community of Brookline, the count was
one dead: Devil Dog Sergeant Raymond P. Cronin.
THE ALTARS OF PATRIOTISM
Ecstatic that their capital had been
saved from the Germans, the French High Command lauded the Marines
with numerous awards and accolades. Belleau Wood itself was given the
sobriquet Bois de la Brigade de Marine, or “Wood of the Marine
Brigade.”
American commanders were also eager to
award the valiant Marines who suffered and sacrificed so much. One of those
recipients was Brookline’s Sgt. Raymond P. Cronin, who was awarded the
Distinguished Service Cross, the Navy Cross and the Silver Star Citation
(the second - Army, second - Navy and third highest medals awarded in the
U.S. Armed Forces).
Generals Petain and Pershing at
the dedication of a
war memorial near Belleau Wood in 1923.
Five years later, a monument was
dedicated to the fallen near the battle site. The commander of the Marine
Brigade, Army General James Harbord, spoke at the event. “Now and then, a
veteran will come here to live again the brave days of that distant June,”
he said. “Here will be raised the altars of patriotism; here will be renewed
the vows of sacrifice and consecration to country. Hither will come our
countrymen in hours of depression, and even of failure, and take new
courage from this shrine of great deeds.”
General Pershing, Commanding General
of the American Expeditionary Forces, referring to the events of June 1918,
said, "The deadliest weapon in the world is a United States Marine and his
rifle." Pershing also said "the Battle of Belleau Wood was for the United
States the biggest battle since Appomattox and the most considerable engagement
American troops had ever had with a foreign enemy."
As for the Marines being called
“Teufel Hunden” by the defending Germans; since the term is not commonly
known in contemporary German, the more accurate German term would be
"Höllenhunde" which means "hellhound." For the Americans who lived through
the hell of the Battle of Belleau Wood, the term “Devil Dogs” would do just
fine. The term was used for many years on recruiting posters and, to this day,
is a common phrase used to describe a member of the United States Marine
Corps.
PFC. GUIDO C. BOECKING
When the initial rush of enlistments
happened back in April 1917, another Brookline boy who joined the United
States Marine Corps was Guido C. Boecking, who lived at 1007 Brookline Boulevard.
Guido, an acquaintance of Raymond Cronin, was assigned to the 43rd Company,
2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment.
Guido's and Raymond's paths through France
were nearly identical, and both ended up facing the Germans in the Battle of
Belleau Wood. While Raymond lost his life in the Battle for Hill 142, Guido
was wounded in the fight for the Bouresches and the main woods.
While in the hospital, Guido learned
of Raymond's death and wrote home to his parents. It was the Boeckings who
first informed the Cronins of their son's death. Raymond's father immediately
cabled Major General Barnett in Washington, who in turn cabled General Pershing's
headquarters.
The return message from France, received
by the Cronins on August 15, 1918, confirmed that Raymond was killed in action.
Two weeks later Sgt. Raymond P. Cronin's name appeared in the casualty list
published daily by the Pittsburgh Press.
Marine Pfc. Guido C. Boecking survived
went on to participate in the Battle of Soisson and the Meuse-Argonne Campaign.
The 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment participated in the post-war occupation
of Germany and returned to the United States in August 1919.
A DECORATED HERO RETURNS HOME TO BROOKLINE
After a brief interment in France,
the remains of Sergeant Raymond P. Cronin were returned to his family in
Brookline. The highly decorated war hero was afforded a Military Funeral at
his parent’s home at 1503 Berkshire Avenue and a blessing by Father Quinn at
Resurrection Church on September 4, 1918. Raymond was buried at St. Mary’s
Roman Catholic Cemetery, located at 45th Street and Penn Avenue in Central
Lawrenceville.
Based on the medals that Sgt. Cronin
received for his heroism at the Battle of Belleau Wood, he is officially
the most decorated soldier in the Community of Brookline.
<><><><> <><><><>
<><><><> <><><><>
<><><><> <><><><>
"Brookline's Most Decorated Soldier"
The text of Sgt. Raymond P. Cronin’s Distinguished Service
Cross citation:
The President of the United States of
America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918 takes pride in presenting
the Distinguished Service Cross (Posthumously) to Sergeant Raymond P. Cronin
(MCSN: 81742), United States Marine Corps, for extraordinary heroism while serving
with the Forty-Ninth Company, Fifth Regiment (Marines), 2d Division, A.E.F., in
action near Chateau-Thierry, France, 6 June 1918. Under heavy machine-gun fire,
Sergeant Cronin attempted to establish liaison with an adjoining French unit,
during which he was killed. War Department General Orders No. 101
(1918).
* Written by Clint Burton:
March 21, 2018 *
The Brookline
War Memorial
Listed below are
many of the sons of Brookline who gave their
lives to preserve freedom and contain aggression during
World War I, World War II, Korea and Vietnam.
“It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died.
Rather, we should thank God that such men lived.”
General George S. Patton
World War I
(1917-1919)
The World War I Memorial -
Washington D.C.
<> <>
<> <> <> <> <> <> <> <>
<> <> <> <> <> <> <> <>
<> <> <> <> <> <> <> <>
<> <> <> <> <> <>
World War II
(1941-1945)
Alm, William H.
Pioneer Avenue
Army
Details |
Arensberg, Roy T.
Fernhill Avenue
Army
Details |
Bracey, Bruce H.
Plainview Avenue
Army
Details |
Brickley, Edward G.
Woodward Avenue
Army
Details |
Capogreca, James J.
Merrick Avenue
Navy
Details |
Copeland, Clarence R.
Creedmoor Avenue
Navy
Details |
Cullison, Thomas J.
Birtley Avenue
Army
Details |
Dempsey, Howard F.
Berkshire Avenue
Army
Details |
Dempsey, Walter F.
Milan Avenue
Navy
Details |
Diegelman, Edward R. Jr
Norwich Avenue
Army
Details |
Dornetto, Frank P.
Jacob Street
Navy
Details |
Doyle, John F Jr.
Eben Street
Navy
Details |
Fagan, Gerald B.
Woodbourne Avenue
Army
Details |
Falk, Harold E.
Pioneer Avenue
Army
Details |
Fehring, Robert M.
Fernhill Avenue
Army
Details |
Gmuca, Joseph J.
Brookline Boulevard
Army
Details |
Heil, Robert F.
Bayridge Avenue
Army
Details |
Hynes, Richard E.
Waddington Avenue
Army
Details |
Kestler, Paul C.
Creedmoor Avenue
Navy
Details |
Ketters, Robert C.
Berkshire Avenue
Army
Details |
Mahoney, Michael J.
Oakridge Street
Army
Details |
Majestic, Arthur B.
Starkamp Avenue
Army
Details |
Mayberry, Alexander G.
Breining Street
Army
Details |
Mazza, John
Alwyn Street
Army
Details |
McCann, Robert F.
Edgebrook Avenue
Navy
Details |
McFarland, Hugh R.
McNeilly Road
Army
Details |
Meisner, Walter F.
Berwin Avenue
Merchant Marine
Details |
Miller, William J.
Norwich Avenue
Army
Details |
Napier, Edward J.
Brookline Boulevard
Army
Details |
Nicholson, John D.
Woodbourne Avenue
Army
Details |
O'Day, John R.
Creedmoor Avenue
Navy
Details |
Orient, Andrew D.
Fordham Avenue
Army
Details |
Pisiecki, Raymond A.
Wolford Avenue
Army
Details |
Reeves, Alfred M.
Brookline Boulevard
Army
Details |
Reitmeyer, John P.
Bellaire Avenue
Navy
Details |
Rhing, Vern M.
Norwich Avenue
Army
Details |
Ruane, Roy J.
Berkshire Avenue
USMC
Details |
Shannon, Harry C.
Midland Street
Army
Details |
Shannon, Jack E.
Midland Street
USMC
Details |
Simpson, James D.
Woodbourne Avenue
Army
Details |
Spack, Harry
Linial Avenue
Army
Details |
Tobin, Paul M.
Woodbourne Avenue
Army
Details |
Vierling, Howard F.
Fordham Avenue
Army
Details |
Wagner, Ralph G.
Shawhan Avenue
Army
Details |
Wentz, Walter L. Jr
Woodbourne Avenue
Army
Details |
Zeiler, Harold V.
West Liberty Avenue
Army
Details |
The World War II Memorial -
Washington D.C.
<> <>
<> <> <> <> <> <> <> <>
<> <> <> <> <> <> <> <>
<> <> <> <> <> <> <> <>
<> <> <> <> <> <>
Korean War
(1950-1953)
Korean War Memorial -
Washington D.C.
<> <>
<> <> <> <> <> <> <> <>
<> <> <> <> <> <> <> <>
<> <> <> <> <> <> <> <>
<> <> <> <> <> <>
Vietnam War
(1965-1973)
Vietnam War Memorial -
Washington D.C.
The Brookline
Monument - The Cannon
<Brookline
War Memorial> <> <Brookline
History> |