10/8/23
Newsletter #482
The Crack of Dawn
About 25 years ago I was sitting on the couch in my apartment in Santa Monica reading the book, Mitla Pass, by Leon Uris. One character told another that his father had fought in the Battle of Belleau Wood, then quickly summarized story. I thought, “Wow, that’s a terrific story. Has anyone ever made a movie out of it?” After some research I found that the famous silent film, The Big Parade (1925), theoretically took place at that battle, but it was never named, simply used as a background.
In The Big Parade a naïve, overly enthusiastic, all-American college boy (John Gilbert), joins the army the day America declares war on Germany in World War I (April 6, 1917, in case you were wondering). He is shipped to France, where he trains and awaits orders to go into battle. While he’s waiting, he meets an adorable French girl (played by an actress with the wonderful name, René Adorée), and they overcome the language barrier and fall in love. They’re both having a grand old time, then he is abruptly yanked from his romantic idyll and sent into the harsh reality of battle. It’s a simple story and it was a gigantic hit, putting the director, King Vidor, on the map.
So, I’d read that the battle depicted was that at Belleau Wood, and I believe it – it’s not in a trench; it’s in the woods – but it doesn’t explain the battle at all. Vidor did, however, gets some incredible tracking shots of marines marching into battle through the foggy woods. For 1925 it looks amazing.
The Battle of Belleau Wood was the very first battle fought by the Americans in WWI. It was mainly fought by the marines and is still considered one of the most important battles in the history of the U.S. Marine Corps. Every marine knows about Belleau Wood.
But why that battle was fought there in that place was meaningless, just like Gettysburg, as an example. There was no significance to the place – it wasn’t the high ground or where the ammunition dump was located or where the big guns were or anything – other than that’s just where the two armies met.
So, as I read up on the battle, one marine’s name kept coming up over and over again, Gunnery Sergeant Dan Daly. This is where it got particularly interesting to me. Gunnery Sergeant Dan Daly is the most-decorated enlisted marine of all-time and there isn’t one book about him. How could that be? The most information that I could find was a long article in a 20-year-old old copy of the marine’s publication, Leatherneck. I found a marine magazine collector, paid twenty dollars, and that magazine became my bible, my main source of information. I’m pretty sure that I still have it somewhere, too.
It seemed to me that Sgt. Dan Daly was crying out to be the lead role. His story is amazing. Daly had won two Medals of Honor going into the Battle of Belleau Wood. He received his first Medal of Honor when he was 19 years old in Peking, China. There is a movie about that specific battle called 55 Days at Peking (1963), with Charlton Heston, Ava Gardner, David Niven, directed by the talented director, Nicholas Ray, shot in Super Technirama 70, and it sucked! 150-minutes of pure misery. One of the biggest letdown movies in my life. However . . .
Sgt. Dan Daly’s second Medal of Honor was won in Haiti in 1917 in what was known as “The Banana Wars.” I’ve considered writing a story that took place during the Banana Wars. I bought a few books and did some research, but it’s ultimately an ugly subject. A horrifying tale of Capitalism gone amok that I didn’t feel like telling. The marines being used as enforcers for United Fruit and big business interests.
But Dan Daly’s specific participation in it was spectacular, and worthy of his second Medal of Honor. He had nothing to do with why he was in Haiti, or whether he should or should not have been there. As a marine, his job was to fight.
36-year-old Gunnery Sergeant Dan Daly was leading a squad of men through the jungle in 1917. They were surrounded by native Haitians (there were no indigenous people left by then). The natives were known for eating Betel nuts, which have a narcotic effect, before going into battle, seemingly making them impervious to being shot.
Up until then, the official U.S. military sidearm was a .32 caliber. Apparently, you could pump 3-4-5 shots into these hopped-up Haitians, and they wouldn’t go down. This was why Colt came up with the .45 caliber (which you see the guy in the back shooting).
I didn’t get where I was going today, but I had fun doing it. Alas, the dawn is here.
We’ll all see where this goes tomorrow.
Good day.