A World at War: The Marine Corps in World War I - On the Ground

In the summer of 1917, James Montgomery Flagg combined two important attributes of the Marine Corps in his iconic painting First in the Fight and Always Faithful. His model, Capt Ross E. Rowell, was in charge of the Marine Corps Publicity Bureau, 1916-17.

Flagg’s portrait of Capt Ross E. Rowell became one of the most iconic Marine Corps recruiting posters of World War I. 

Schoonover created this iconic painting 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.

By the end of the offensive, which lasted 31 days, the Marine Corps suffered the largest loss of life in its history. The 4th 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.“

Thomason used his watercolor for the frontispiece of his book, Fix Bayonets!  He used swirling shades of blue and sharp outlines for the figures; his washes of white conveyed the eerie night sky as flares were shot into the sky, illuminating the landscape. 

Thomason wrote, “That night, lying in its shallow, hastily dug holes, the remnant of the battalion descended through further hells of shelling.”  

Thomason uses shading and dark tones to convey danger. The figures carry on with their mission, only slightly flinching as the bomb bursts behind them.

‘Oh Lordy, they’ve got us bracketed!’... a dark, tremendous streak, shooting straight down to the quivering earth. A yawning hole opened with thunder fairly between two platoon columns, and the earth vomited. . . It was wonderful shooting. All the shells that followed dropped between the columns of prone men—but not a man was hit!"

Thomason wrote, “before the smoke had lifted from the monstrous crater the devastating rumble came again, and the second shell roared down 50 yards to the rear." 
Fix Bayonets!, 1926.

Under the command of Maj George W. Hamilton, the 1st and 2d Battalion, 5th Marines, cross a narrow bridge on the last night of the war, 10 November 1918. Rich, dark blue and brown tones with touches of white set off the line of Marines from the grim background as they prepare to cross.

To ensure that his audience understood the historic importance of the scenes that he depicted, Capolino placed a caption on banner at the top of work along with the Marine Corps emblem and any awards associated with the action.