Miles upon miles of trenches, and burned out wasteland from the millions of rounds of munitions covered the French countryside at the end of World War I. The conditions and fighting endured by the soldiers proved miserable, dangerous, and rife for injury or death. The likes of this fighting did not exist prior to the Great War. To give people a better understanding of these conditions and what American forces endured, the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) is releasing “Battlefield Experience: The Meuse-Argonne Offensive.”

As one of the largest battles ever fought in American history, the Meuse-Argonne Offensive claimed the lives of more than 26,000 Americans in less than 50 days. This extreme loss of life reflected the horrors of the World War I battlefield.  “It is impossible to capture on film the horrors, harshness, loss of spirit or loss of life,” said Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery Superintendent Dave Bedford. “But we owe it to their memory to try, attempting to put this into a context we might understand today using a visual medium.”

Designed for display in the renovated visitor center at Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery, this film presents visitors with an immersive, World War I experience. Displayed on three large screens in a darkened area, visitors see different pieces of this film simultaneously.  With no dialogue, each screen shows a different perspective of the same event.  For example, one scene portrays no man’s land in the dead of night, and the importance of protecting or penetrating the area, depending on which forces were on the offensive. One screen shows the American perspective, another the German perspective, and the other a neutral perspective of no man’s land.

Creating an accurate film of this magnitude required a unique collaboration, tireless efforts to recreate the battlefield, and an extreme attention to the historic accuracy of the uniforms, weaponry, vehicles and more. To make this film look and feel as accurate as possible, ABMC requested the help of the U.S. Army’s 3^rd Infantry Regiment, also known as The Old Guard. More than 30 soldiers based at Fort Myer in Arlington, Virginia, played the soldiers in this film. “If you want to make a film with soldiers of any kind, and make it look good, you get soldiers to do the film,” said ABMC Acting Secretary Robert J. Dalessandro, who is a WWI expert.  He helped train these modern-day soldiers to understand how members of the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I would have fought and acted.

Shot in Pennsylvania in March 2016, this location along with the time of year mimicked the look of the French battlefields late in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive.  The Old Guard worked long hours with the director and production crew to complete the principal photography within an ambitious filming schedule. In just three days they were able to accomplish what is normally done in twice the time.  In a special screening for the Old Guard, film director Joe Throckmorton praised the soldiers. “You were the best actors I ever had on set. You understood how to take information, assimilate it, and then recreate it.”

The soldiers of the Old Guard paired with the film’s high production value means visitors see an accurate portrayal of the battlefield experience.  Scenes include the realities of trench warfare, the brutality of hand-to-hand combat, the effects of poison gas, the limited availability of medical care, and the celebration of the Armistice. The film blends historic footage against this portrayal of the battlefield experience.

“Being able to participate in such a powerful, meaningful film was a great experience for the soldiers of the regiment,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Lee Ward, 4^th Battalion, 3d Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard).  “Our soldiers got to experience a piece of history they have only read about, and in turn have a better understanding of the importance of not only our mission here, but what we as soldiers fight for every day.”

About ABMC:
Established by Congress in 1923, the American Battle Monuments Commission commemorates the service, achievements, and sacrifice of U.S. armed forces. ABMC administers 26 overseas military cemeteries, and 27 memorials, monuments, and markers.