By an accident, it is said, the regimental records were lost, but the casualties are estimated at 600 killed and 3,000 replacements; the replacements were made from new recruits just brought over from the States, and sometimes they more than filled the vacancies made by the killed and wounded. These new recruits were often untrained, and frequently had to be taught to load a gun after they reached the front line trenches; their ignorance of how to protect themselves in battle caused the list of killed and wounded to be much larger than it otherwise would have been; but with the assistance of their comrades in arms, they soon became seasoned soldiers; and, according to a record published by 19 non-commissioned officers, while the regiment made tremendous sacrifices, they inflicted much greater losses on the enemy than they themselves suffered, and captured many prisoners and munitions of war.
For its record in the great German Offensive of July, 1918, and the Allied Offensive of the following September and October, the regiment was awarded the Croix de Guerre. In addition to this there were 132 officers and men cited for conspicuous and meritorious conduct, and awarded the Croix de Guerre or the Legion d’Honneur. Among these were the now famous Henry Johnson and Needham Roberts, the first two Americans, white or colored, to be decorated; these two men defeated twenty or more Germans in one midnight engagement, by the skillful use of hand grenades, the butt ends of their rifles, and the bolo knife; they routed an entire machine-gun nest, and brought back numerous war trophies; both were severely wounded, and remained in the hospital for some time before they were again able for service.
After the victory of the great German Offensive of July, 1918, General Gouraud, Commander of the 4th French Army, with whom the organization was fighting, issued the following bulletin:
Fourth Army Staff,
5th B., No. 6954/3.
July 16, 1918.
TO THE FRENCH AND AMERICAN SOLDIERS OF THE FOURTH FRENCH ARMY
During the day of July 15th you have broken the efforts of fifteen German Divisions supported by ten others.
They were, from their orders, to reach the Marne in the evening; you have stopped them where we wanted to give and to win the battle.
You have the right to be proud, heroic infantrymen and machine gunners of the advanced posts, who have signalled the attack, and who have subdivided it, aviators who flew over it, battalions and batteries who have broken it, staffs who have so minutely prepared that battlefield.
It is a hard blow to the enemy. It is a beautiful day for France.