THE LOST BATTALION MAJOR CHARLES WHITTLESEY MAJOR CHARLES

THE LOST BATTALION

MAJOR CHARLES WHITTLESEY

MAJOR CHARLES WHITTLESEY • • • Commander of Lost Battalion NY Lawyer Opposes Argonne battle plan Leads men into Charleveux Mill Sends men to find flanks

GENERAL ALEXANDER

GENERAL ALEXANDER • Overall battle commander of US forces; devises plan for attack • orders troops to advance • Orders retreat (too late) • Shocked by Whittlesey • Orders artillery attack (friendly fire)

CAPTAIN GEORGE Mc. MURTRY • in command of • Career soldier/ “tough guy” • Irish-American nd 2 th 308

SGT. GAEDEKE

SGT. GAEDEKE • Immediately in charge of new recruits • Gets them settled on front lines • Goes to find French on flanks… no one there • Blown up by friendly fire (dead)

COLONEL JOHNSON • Assistant to General Alexander • Worries about hurrying into battle • Orders cease fire for artillery

PRIVATE KROTOSHINSKY • • NY boy (Polish immigrant) New recruit Took the “test” Volunteers to “run” message out

Privates Rosen & Cepeglia

Privates Rosen & Cepeglia • NY boys • Give advice to new recruits • Rosen= Jewish • Cepeglia= Italian • Best friends • Cepeglia dies

PRIVATE STANLEY CHIN • Chinese-American • Radio operator • Wire “short”; waits in bush • Communication lines cut • Refuses to retreat • killed

PRIVATE LIPASTI

PRIVATE LIPASTI • NY boy • New recruit • Becomes runner for Mc. Murtry • Finds Chin dead • Finds Holderman (307 th) • “indoor aviator”

PRIVATE YODER

PRIVATE YODER

PRIVATE YODER • • • “appleknocker” New recruit Big Fork, Montana (“Daisyville”) Kills sniper Killed by grenade

PRIVATE OMER RICHARDS • Handles pigeons • Sends messages to HQ • Last pigeon (Cher Ami) used to stop artillery

PVT. CEPEGLIA

LT. Leak

LIEUTENANT LEAK • • Texas Assigned to NY regiment Thinks he does not belong Yelled at by Whittlesey for his dress, shaving, etc. • Captured • Explains why US will never surrender (inner-city thugs)

MAJOR HENRICH PRINZ • Commander of German forces opposing “Lost” battalion • Respects Americans • Requests Stosstrupen

CAPTAIN NELSON HOLDERMAN

CAPTAIN NELSON HOLDERMAN • 307 th officer from CALIFORNIA • Lost in Argonne forest • Found by Lipasti • Links up with Whittlesey

CAPTAIN NELSON HOLDERMAN

CHER AMI