One of the most well known images (below) of the Lost Battalion after the men had escaped through the pocket of the Argonne Forest on October 8th, 1918. It is featured in Irving Werstein 1966 book, Lost Battalion: A Saga of American Courage, a book my grandfather bought when it was published and passed along to me when I was growing up.

Pvt. Frank G. S. Erickson is shown on the right side of the color photograph, squatting, 8th man in from the right in the front row. He is alongside the other surviving men of the 308th. Their commanding officer Major Charles White Whittlesey stands on the far left, wearing eyeglasses. The photo is compelling for many reasons, if not for one single point, the photographs very existence is miraculous.

Featured in the book are multiple passages on William 'Red' J. Cullen who was Captain of Company H. Frank was a runner / rifleman for Captain Cullen. They both stayed in touch till William passed in the late 1960s.

Also below is a postcard dated March 1st 1919 written in Cheville, France to Frank by Captain Cullen. The reverse of the card features a nice portrait of the Captain.

It is a beautifully written note to Frank in appreciation of his service in October of 1918 during the 'The Meuse-Argonne Offensive.' Frank joined the American Expeditionary Force in 1917 and entered training at Camp Upton in Long Island NY. He eventually became a member of 77th Division, 308th Infantry and was a rifleman / runner with Company H. Frank was a surviving member of the famed 'Lost Battalion.'

The 'Lost Battalion,' is the name given to the nine companies of the United States 77th Division of the American Expeditionary Force, consisted of 554 men that were surrounded by German forces in the Argonne Forest in France between October 2nd through the 8th of 1918.

Roughly 197 were killed in battle and approximately 150 went missing in action and or were taken prisoner. Only 194 remaining men walked out alive.

The Meuse-Argonne Offensive, also known as the Battle of the Argonne Forest, was a major part of the final Allied offensive of World War I that stretched along the entire Western Front. It was fought from September 26, 1918, until the Armistice on November 11th, 1918, a total of 47 days.

The Meuse-Argonne Offensive was the largest in United States military history, involving 1.2 million American soldiers, and was one of a series of Allied attacks known as the Hundred Days Offensive, which brought the war to an end. The battle cost 28,000 German lives and 26,277 American lives, making it the largest and bloodiest operation of World War I for the American Expeditionary Force (AEF), which was commanded by General John J. Pershing.

I am fortunate for having the many historic photographs, citations, western and military memorabilia that my grandfather Frank, grandmother Clara and father Ernest Anders kept safe through flood and time. I am especially proud to be able to share their archives here.