Memorial Program - 2024The Descendants and Friends are pleased to announce that our annual Memorial Programwill be held Sunday, May 26, 2024 at 2:00 PM. This will be our 106th Annual Memorial Service. The service will be held in the nave of the Washington Memorial Chapel, as in past years. The Chapel is located along Route 23 about two miles west of the Valley Forge exit of the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Admittance is free and refreshments will be served after the service. Note: GPS location is not always accurate for this location, please use the actual location of: RR 23, Valley Forge, PA 19481 (click for Google Map) The speaker for this year will be Alexander Curran Alexander Curran is a native of New Jersey and currently lives in Tampa, Florida. He enjoys military history of all eras but spends most of his free time as a WWI historian. He became interested in WWI after hearing about his great-granduncle, Sergeant John T. Curran, who fought in France in World War I. Sgt Curran was a carpenter from Philadelphia who in 1917 was drafted into the 316th Infantry Regiment of the 79th Division, American Expeditionary Forces. Sgt Curran died in a German field hospital in France in early November 1918 after being wounded by machine-gun fire and captured in the final days of the war. Unfortunately, his remains were never recovered, and Sgt. Curran was officially listed as one of the over 1,184 American servicemen Missing in Action. Alexander became involved in the Doughboy MIA foundation in 2020 and has become a core leader and is instrumental in the organization. He has travelled to France several times, working with the team as they continue their search of our missing doughboys. As Alexander works tirelessly to commemorate and account for the U.S. Missing in Action of the Great War he continues to exemplify the statement from the foundation: “A man is only missing if he is forgotten. . .” Please join us in thanking Alexander for his dedication to, and support of the preservation of our history. Everyone is invited to a reception immediately following the service. |
Memorial Day 2021 Video - Rob Laplander
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September 27, 2020 Virtual Service |
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We Honor the 314th |
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Speaker - LTC Ryan Liebhaber |
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September 27, 2020 Virtual Reception |
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Lauren Schaff |
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Geneva Draper Cochran |
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Melissa Klink |
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Dessa Hayes |
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Patrick Mullins |
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Walter Bauer |
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Adare Siegel |
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Eric Beeby |
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Gene Fax |
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Herb Short |
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Lucy Ramstead |
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James Thomas |
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Joe Piekunka |
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Rod Shane |
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Rob Klink |
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Joe Patti |
Memorial Day 2020 - Virtual Service (please click this link to view) |
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If you need to wear a face mask, you can show your ties to the 79th Division and 314th Infantry! |
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Thank you -- our 98th Annual Memorial Day Service was a huge success!Click to see coverage on TV by CBS3 and NBC10 and Page 1 article in the Philadelphia Inquirer! |
WHAT WE'RE ABOUTThe Descendents and Friends of the 314th are a group of people dedicated to honoring and preservingthe story of their fathers, grandfathers, and family members in the First World War. Originally organized as the Veterans of the 314th Infantry A.E.F. the veterans have since passed on. The current membership helps to continue this remembrance, receives a newsletter, and once a year attends a Memorial Day service at the Washington Memorial Chapel located on the same grounds as the cabin once stood. We are always looking for new members and interested persons. Anyone wanting more information please contact Joel Rentz at joelrentz@aol.com Please title your email inquiries with "314th Infantry". |
HISTORY OF THE LOG CABIN |
History of the 314th Infantry Regiment A.E.F.Organized as part of the 79th Division A.E.F. the men of the 314th were trained at Camp Meade, Maryland. Arriving at the camp in September, 1917 the unit completed training and sailed to France aboard the USS Leviathan in July, 1918. Upon arrival at Brest, France they continued training until September when they took part in the Meuse Argonne Offensive. Capturing the town of Malancourt on September, 26 1918, they assisted the 313th Infantry the following day in the capture of the town of Montfaucon. It should be noted that Montfaucon was a heavily defended area and observation post of the German army. The 79th Division was relieved on September, 30th and transferred to the Troyon sector. Here they did a variety of tasks, including holding the front. Alternating duty with the 313th, 315th, and 316th Infantry in the trenches. In this period of so called rest, they were harassed with mustard gas, shelling and enemy raids but did not yield the line. At the end of October the 79th Division was again relieved and moved in place to participate in the third phase of the Meuse Argonne Offensive. On November 1, 1918 the 314th drove forward and captured the towns of Crepion, Waville, and Moirey by November, 9th. The following day the unit captured Buisson Chaumont, Hill 328. On November 11th the 314th advanced against Cote de Romagne and stopped firing at 11am., time of the armistice. At wars end that day, the 314th had made the greatest drive of the offensive into German lines, east of the Meuse River. The regiment continued training, passed a review by General Pershing, and shipped home on May 15, 1919 aboard the Princess Matokia. Arriving at Hoboken, New Jersey on May 26, they were discharged at Camp Dix, New Jersey end of May 1919. This is a brief overview of the regiment and its actions. For more information about the 314th in World War One there is a current two volume booklet for sale. Please contact Steve Rentz at srentz@comcast.net Also see list of books and websites on this website. |
Summary Chronology of the 314th Regiment | |
August 25, 1917 | General Joseph H. Kuhn assigned to Camp Meade to organize and command the new 79th Division. |
Sept. 19, 1917 | First contingent of selected men arrived at Camp Meade. |
April 6, 1918 | Division paraded in Baltimore before President Wilson. |
July 8, 1918 | Sailed for France on the U.S.S. Leviathan. |
July 15, 1918 | Arrived in Brest, France. |
July 25 - Sept. 8, 1918 | Regimental training begun in the vicinity of Prauthoy, France. |
Sept. 26, 1918 | Commenced Meuse Argonne Offensive: Captured Malancourt, France. |
Sept. 27, 1918 | Montfaucon captured by the 313th Regiment, assisted by 314th Regiment on the right. |
Sept. 28. 1918 | Nantillois captured by 315th Regiment. |
Sept. 30, 1918 | Relieved by 3rd Division and moved to Troyon Sector. |
Oct. 26-28, 1918 | Relieved from Troyon Sector by 33rd Division. |
Nov. 1, 1918 | Participated in third phase of Meuse Argonne Offensive. Assigned to Belleu Bois and Bois de Chenes. |
Nov. 6, 1918 | The Borne du Cornouillier (Hill 378) captured by the 316th Regiment. |
Nov. 9, 1918 | Captured Crepion, Wavrille, Gibercy, and Moirey. |
Nov. 10, 1918 | Captured Hill 328. |
Nov. 11, 1918 | Moved against Cote de Romagne. Armistice ended operations. |
April 12, 1919 | Division reviewed by General Pershing at Orquevaux. |
May 15, 1919 | Sailed home on the U.S.S. Princess Matoika from St. Nazaire, France. |
May 26, 1919 | Arrived at Hoboken, New Jersey. |
May 27-31, 1919 | Discharged at Camp Dix, New Jersey. |
79th Division HistoryCommanded by General Joseph H. Kuhn, the 79th Division was organized in August 1917. Composed of Pennsylvania, Maryland, and District of Columbia men, later rotations of draftees would include New York, Ohio, Rhode Island, and West Virginia. The division trained at Camp Meade, Maryland which included help from British and French officers. Trench warfare was studied and taught but the American Army had taken the open attack approach for the upcoming offensives and the training reflected this. Several times during the course of training, men were moved from the division to other units. This, along with lack of proper equipment, and sufficient training hampered the division from deployment to France. The 79th shipped out to France in July 1918 and continued training upon arrival in France. At the beginning of September 1918 the division entered the front line, relieving units of the French Army, and participated in the first phase of the Meuse-Argonne offensive. The average training of the men at this point in time was approximately 33 days, due to replacement troops. During the course of the next two months the 79th would earn two distinctions. One, for holding up the advance against formidable odds at Montfaucon, France and two, for making the deepest thrust into German lines on the last day of the war, November 11, 1918. Communication problems, terrain, snipers, little artillery support, and overrun enemy positions in the rear were all problems for the division. French and Allied Aero support were all but nonexistent in several cases. Division strength in August 1918 was at 26,150 men. In November the total is at 19,035. Although the division was only engaged from September 26, 1918 to November 11, 1918, it lost more men than any other American division during this period. |
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THE LORRAINE CROSS - Symbol of TriumphIn the battle of Nancy during the 15th Century, Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, was defeated and the reign of the House of Anjou began. The Lorraine Cross was adopted by the new reign (Rene 11, 1473-1508) and served as a symbol of justice and freedom to the people of Lorraine and French Nation. During all its war service, the 79th Division fought in the French province of Lorraine. Fighting against formidable odds, the division claimed victory. It is only fitting the division would choose the Lorraine Cross as its symbol and was adopted shortly after the war ended. Originally called the Liberty Division, the 79th pledged to win back that portion called Lorraine for France. It is with honor that the 79th Division still wears the Cross of Lorraine today. The Lorraine Cross was adopted by Major General Joseph Kuhn and his staff shortly after the armistice was signed. Approved by General Headquarters, the insignia was to be worn on the upper left arm near the shoulder. Many variations of the patch exist maybe due to the fact that most or all were sewn in France by different manufacturers. Since the insignia was adopted after the end of the war it is quite possible that many of the men had little time to sew it on their uniform before boarding ship for home. |
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The organizational structure as shown in this text box for the 79th Division is based on War Department General Order 101 dated August 3, 1917 (click here and see pages 496-500), which begins with: By direction of the President and under authority con ferred upon him by section 3 of "An act for making further and more effectual provisions for the national defense, and for other purposes," approved June 3, 1916, and section 1 of "An act to authorize the President to increase temporarily the Military Establishment of the United States," approved May 18, 1917, the higher organization of the Regular Army of the United States, subject to such modifications as may be announced from time to time, shall be as follows: UNITS COMPRISING THE SEVENTY-NINTH DIVISION A.E.F. (Read 550-page "History of the Seventy-Ninth Division A.E.F. during the World War: 1917-1919" online now) Division Headquarters 310th Machine Gun Battalion 157th Infantry Brigade (Brigade HQ)
304th Field Signal Battalion Trains
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Force Structure of the US Army during World War One(Prepared in the Historical Branch, War Plans Division, General Staff, June 1921) Click here to read about the "US Army V Corps" force structure in 1918 Document downloaded from http://www.cgsc.edu/CARL/nafziger/918UIAL.pdf which is the US Army Combined Arms Research Library [CARL], part of the US Army Command and General Staff College [CGSC] |
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Click here to read the most recent Bugle Call Newsletter, for the latest news about the cabin and collection.
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You can download our new brochure (tri-fold pamphlet) by clicking on this link |
314th Infantry Memorial Cabin at Valley Forge Washington Memorial Chapel Deconstruction October 2012 for return to Fort Meade, Maryland |
Pat the Dog was mascot and friend to the soldiers of the 314th Infantry. This article correctly states that from the American Civil War to modern day Afghanistan, there has been an enduring bond between soldiers and their dogs over the centuries. And that bond has been strong whether the soldier was an infantryman or a General. The article has many photos which show that very strong bond. |
The World War I Centennial Network at http://www.ww1-centennial.org is a collaborative association of organizations, museums and historic sites in the United States related to the First World War. The goal of the Network is to further public awareness of the history and memory of The Great War (1914-1918) as we approach and experience its centenary years. To this end, the World War I Centennial Network fosters collaboration and cross-promotion of the special events, commemorations and exhibits created by its members. |
We would like to thank the members of the 314th memorial committee:
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Commanding the 314th Infantry From John Eisenhower's book YANKS chapter 17 starts with the quotation above. |
www.314th.org Website Statistics: | |||
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text/html | 409 | Web Pages | 27,327,631 |
text/html | 4,350 | Individual Soldier Web Pages | 1,891,556 |
text/plain | 472 | Text Files | 1,932,165,345 |
document/pdf | 959 | PDF files total 54,973 pages! | 5,356,893,315 |
image/jpeg | 9,360 | JPEG (photo/scan) images | 13,978,475,749 |
image/JP2 | 501 | JPEG 2000 (photo/scan) images | 1,126,246,460 |
image/bmp | 82 | Bitmap Images | 574,011,382 |
image/TIFF | 118 | TIFF images | 2,498,940,922 |
video/mpeg | 49 | MPEG videos | 14,758,621,579 |
video/flash | 8 | Flash (older) Videos | 2,064,081,095 |
video/quicktime | 5 | Quicktime (older) Videos | 669,329,380 |
video/x-ms-wmv | 2 | WMV (older) Videos | 171,329,252 |
external links | 448 | to other websites and resources | n/a |
Total | 17,023 | Files and Links | 43,106,536,942 Bytes |