This week's hero is...
Floyd Gibbons
Floyd Gibbons was born on July 16, 1887, in Washington DC. He attended Georgetown University. After leaving the college in 1907, Gibbons moved to Minnesota where was able to find work as a reporter for the Minneapolis Daily News. His job eventually took him down to Mexico, where he covered the Mexican Revolution and gave an interview with Pancho Villa. However, his biggest challenge would be with the US marines, in the forest of Belleau Wood.
In June of 1917, Gibbons and dozens of other American journalists arrived in France hoping to cover the Western Front of the Great War. They were warned by their censors to stay out unauthorized places (for their own safety). However, Gibbons knew that he would not heed this warning. He wanted to go into combat with American servicemen and give his readers an actual feeling of what war was like.
That day, Gibbons followed the 5th marines under Major Benjamin Berry into the forest of Belleau Wood, just west of the town, Lucy-le-Bocage. Since he was a non-combabtant, Gibbons was not permitted to carry any weapons. As the marines crossed nearby wheat field, they were ambushed by Germans hidden in the woods. Major Berry ordered the marines to hit the dirt and return fire. Just seconds after Gibbons hit the ground who looked up and saw Major Berry get hit by a burst of machine-gun fire. He fell severely wounded with multiple wounds.
In a complete disregard for his safety, Gibbons immediately began crawling towards the fallen marine in an attempt to pull him to safety. As he reached for Major Berry, a bullet struck Gibbons in his left arm. A second one struck his shoulder. Even then he continued to try to get to Berry. Finally a third bullet ricocheted off a rock and struck Gibbons in his left eye. He was left immobilized in the wheat field as the rest of the marines fell back to call in an artillery strike. Three hours later, Gibbons was evacuated to a hospital where doctors treated his wounds. He survived, but was left blind in his left eye.
Gibbons later found out that Major Berry had successfully called in an artillery strike that silenced the German machine-guns and personally saw to the former's rescue. Gibbons later published a graphic account of the Battle of Belleau Wood that captivated the American public and propelled the US Marine Corps into the national spotlight. For his own valor, he received the French Croix de Guerre with Palm. Floyd Gibbons continued to work in the US media for the rest of his life. He eventually became a narrator for Hollywood documentaries and newsreels for which received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He died on September 23, 1939, at the age of 52.
Floyd Gibbons showed outstanding courage and dedication to his occupation. Even though he was not required to do so, he followed American servicemen into combat and fought by their sides through battle. It was because of men like him, that an accurate description of the American war experience was shared with the public. He definitely someone to be held in high regard.
http://www.worldwar1.com/sffgbw.htm
Axelrod, Alan. Miracle at Belleau Wood : the birth of the modern U.S. Marine Corps.Guilford, Conn: Lyons Press, 2007
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