ONLINE: Mess Night at the Museum

The Wisconsin Veterans Museum remains closed due to the pandemic, but many of the museum's regular programs have continued virtually, including its "Mess Night at the Museum" lecture series. This installment features a talk by historian Edward Lengel on a group of Wisconsin and Michigan National Guard members who, as part of the American Expeditionary Forces, were among the first U.S. soldiers in combat during World War I. Register here for a link to the free talk.  

media release: At this Mess Night at the Museum event, Dr. Edward Lengel looks at the exploits of the Red Arrow Division in World War I.

The 32nd ‘Red Arrow’ Division, based on the Wisconsin and Michigan National Guard, was one of the premiere fighting units of the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I. It was one of the first American divisions to see combat in the summer of 1918, and developed a sterling reputation in battles that climaxed in August at the shell-torn French village of Fismes.

In October 1918, the division was deployed to the toughest and most important part of the lines in the gigantic Meuse-Argonne offensive, eventually cracking the central German stronghold at the Heights of Cunel and Romagne and so assuring eventual American victory. In this lecture, World War I historian Dr. Edward Lengel looks at the exploits of the Red Arrow Division in World War I, emphasizing what the war was like through the eyes of the men who fought it.

Sponsored by the Wisconsin Veterans Museum Foundation