One hour east of Paris is the WWI battle site Belleau Wood. Nancy’s grandfather, Julian Paul Orem, fought here in 1918 as a Marine. The American Cemetery (1 of 8 for WWI) lies below the woods with 2,038 graves. There is a small memorial in the woods which recaps the battle and an American Memorial overlooking the town of Chateau Thierry which commemorates our brave, young soldiers.
Here's some additional information about Nancy's grandfather:
Julian P. Orem was born September 21, 1898 in Switzerland County, Indiana. He was one of 7 children. His father died November 9th, 1904. By November 22nd, 1905 he was orphaned by the death of his mother Nancy Tabitha Orem.
After a "rocky" childhood, he enlisted in the U. S. Marine Corp in Indianapolis, Indiana on April 13th, 1915. He received his basic training at Norfolk, Virginia, and was assigned to the 8th Marine Company at New Orleans, Louisiana.
After duty on the destroyer Kersarge at Verecruz, Mexico and the Dominican Republic, he was sent to Saint Nazaire, France in late June 1917. He remained with the 8th Company which became the 8th Regimental Machine Gun Company in the 2nd Battalion of the 5th Marine Regiment of the Second Division.
He saw action in the following sectors & engagements: Verdun Sector, Chateau Thierry Sector, Soissons offensive and the St. Mihiel offensive.
He was wounded in the left hand September 12, 1918. He was hospitalized in France for about 10 weeks, and then returned to a military hospital in Norfolk, Virginia where he was eventually discharged April 19th, 1919.
See our pictures of Belleau Wood here.
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