Original Items: Only One Lot of 3 Available. In World War I, Marines served a limited role in the United States' entry into the conflict. Unlike the majority of Allied armies, the Marine Corps had a deep pool of officers and non-commissioned officers with battle experience, and experienced a smaller growth but they were not trained for the intense and highly technical conflict. They participated in small ways throughout 1918 (such as Château-Thierry, Soissons, and Saint-Mihiel), but its most famous action of the war would come that summer as the German spring offensive neared its end. From 1 to 26 June, Marines fought their celebrated Battle of Belleau Wood, then the largest in the history of the Corps, creating their reputation in modern history. Rallying under the battle cries of "Retreat? Hell, we just got here!" (Capt Lloyd Williams) and "Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?" (GySgt Dan Daly), the Marines drove German forces from the area but suffered many losses mostly explained by the lack of experience of its officers and the use of outdated tactics.

While its previous expeditionary experience had not earned it much acclaim in the Western world, the Marines' fierceness and toughness earned them the respect of the Germans, who rated them of storm-trooper quality. Though Marines and American media reported that Germans had nicknamed them "Teufelhunden" or "Devil Dogs", there is no evidence of this in German records. Nevertheless, the name stuck, such as a famous recruiting poster.

The Medals In This Lot:
- 2 Medal Bar; WWI Victory Medal & Good Conduct Medal: Both medals are in fantastic condition and appear to be “replacement” medals. The WWI Victory Medal has the “West Indies” campaign bar. The West Indies clasp was awarded for service in Haiti, Santo Domingo, Cuba or the Virgin Islands from 06 April 1917 to 11 Nov. 1918.

- Rim Numbered Good Conduct Medal: The medal is in great condition with no extensive damage or fading. The rim is numbered 29793 and was allegedly issued to Roy L. Davis, although we cannot confirm this due to lack of resources, making this a wonderful research opportunity.

This is a lovely medal lot with great research potential. Comes more than ready for further research and display!