Marines at Belleau Wood

Frank E. Schoonover painted this iconic oil on canvas of Marines at Belleau Wood in 1919 for “Souvenir Pictures of the Great War,” an insert to the Ladies’ Home Journal. He used photographs and newspaper articles as his primary sources. His skills as a painter are evident as he pulls the viewer into the intense, chaotic scene. The success of Germany’s third offensive, taking the town of Soissons and moving toward Paris, forced the Allies to move troops to the front lines to halt their advance. The Marines fought their way across a wheat field with little cover to reach the German machine gun placements and overtake their positions. By the end of the offensive, which lasted 31 days, the Marine Corps suffered the largest loss of life in its history. The Fourth Brigade lost 1,062 men in battle, with another 7,253 wounded. In respect for the fighting ability of the Marines, the French Army renamed Belleau Wood “Bois de Belleau de Marine.”