General Order Number 30: April 15, 1919
I desire to publish to the command an official recognition of the valor and extraordinary heroism in action of the officers and enlisted men of the following organizations:

Companies A, B, C, E, G, H of the 308th Infantry
Company K of the 307th Infantry
Companies C, D of the 306th Machine Gun Battalion

These organizations, or detachments therefrom, comprised the approximate force of 550 men under command of Major Charles W. Whittlesey, which was cut off from the remainder of the Seventy-Seventh Division and surrounded by a superior number of the enemy near Charlevaux, in the Forest d'Argonne, from October 2nd, 1918, to October 8th, 1918.

Without food for more than one hundred hours, harassed continuously by machine gun, rifle, trench mortar and grenade fire, Major Whittlesey's command, with undaunted spirit and magnificent courage, successfully met and repulsed daily violent attacks by the enemy. They held the position which had been reached by supreme efforts, under orders received for an advance, until communication was re-established with friendly troops.

When relief finally came, 194 officers and men were able to walk out of the position. 334 men were either killed, went missing in action or were taken prisoner by the Germans. On the fourth day a written proposition to surrender received from the Germans was treated with the contempt which it deserved.

The officers and men of these organizations during these seven days of isolation continually gave unquestionable proof of extraordinary heroism and demonstrated the high standard and ideals of the United States Army.

Two photographs are below of the survivors of the early October of 1918 Lost Battalion.