My grandfather, Frank Severin Erickson (308th Infantry - Company H) along with the other surviving soldiers of the 77th Division pose for a photograph. This was soon after they emerged into daylight, from their temporary fall into darkness, marching proudly out of their previous hopeless hell.

Known as 'The Lost Battalion,' this photograph was taken in the outskirts of the Argonne Forest in France on October 8th, 1918 soon after the men had escaped out of 'The Pocket.' The commander, Major Charles Whittlesey of the 1st Battalion 308th Infantry Regiment can be seen standing on the far left in the second photograph below. Frank is marked with an arrow in both images.

The since known 'Lost Battalion' was comprised of nine companies of the 77th Infantry Division, 554 men in total. In the Argonne forest in early October of 1918, the division advanced toward the German line, believing themselves to be supported by French forces on their right flank. However, the French advance was stalled, and the 77th found itself surrounded by the Germans and cut off. For six days the men sustained heavy casualties and difficult times, yet they held their ground.

At one point the men were bombarded by American artillery, and only ceased when a carrier pigeon (Cher Ami) got through to the main lines. The message read:

“We are along the road parallel 276.4. Our artillery is dropping a barrage directly on us. For Heavens sake stop it.”

When the 77th Dvision was initially created during the war, all of its recruits were drafted from the New York City area. Later replacements, like Frank, were added to the division and these men came from different areas of the country, many from the Northwest and Great Plain states.

They all passed through training at Camp Upton in Yaphank (Long Island) in Suffolk County, New York. Frank had originally trained at Camp Lewis near Tacoma, Washington and eventually wound up at Camp Upton. He left for England on August 8th, 1918 and ported in Liverpool. By mid month he was in France preparing for combat.

Frank joined the AEF in Oregon in late 1917 and is listed in some documents coming from there, but Frank was from North Dakota. There were quite a few men having come from the Great Plains states represented in the 77th and many survived the ordeal in the Argonne. The division was nicknamed the 'Liberty Division,' sometimes referred to as the Statue of Liberty Division.

Finally on October 8th relief arrived and 194 men that were still alive and able to walk, headed to safety. The remaining 334 men were either killed, wounded or taken prisoner by the Germans.

In the images below, one can witness the men that survived as they pose for photographs. In that spirit the men that did not survive are forever remembered. These black and white photographs are the lasting time capsules of these men's heroics having survived an epic time along the battered Argonne Forrest.