100th Anniversary of BELLEAU WOOD

On Memorial Day, I had the honor of addressing the crowd gathered for the observance at Minneapolis Lakewood Cemetery. One of the city's oldest and largest cemeteries, Lakewood is 250 acres in size on wooded hills overlooking Lake Calhoun with more than 100,000 monuments and gravestones. The Memorial Chapel with its stunning mosaics is the best example of Byzantine architecture in the United States.

Too many people overlook or forget that the national day is to honor those who died in the service of our nation. I told the story of STEPHEN G. SHERMAN of Minneapolis. He left the University of Minnesota four days after the US entered the war and enlisted in the Marines. Sherman went overseas with 20th Company, 5th Marine Regiment. The 5th Marines saw action and incurred losses at Toul and at Verdun. At the beginning of June, the 5th and 6th Marines blocked the Metz-Paris highway and stopped the German advance on Paris. On June 6, the Marines began their assault on the German position in Belleau Wood. SERGEANT STEPHEN SHERMAN lost his life in the advance across the wheat field on June 6. The Marines incurred a total of 1,087 casualties in that day alone. The fight for Belleau Wood lasted 20 days and became a seminal moment in Marine Corps history. The family brought Stephen's body home in 1921. His remains lie in Lakewood Cemetery. For photos of Stephen Sherman and his grave and an audio file of my address, go to https://freedomhistory.com/memorial-day-address-minneapolis-lakewood-cemetery-2018/