by Col. Michael C. Howard US Marines (Ret) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Belleau_Wood

The situation: World War One, France, June 1918. The 4th #MarineBrigade of the American Expeditionary Force had just stopped the last desperate German offensive drive southwest on Paris. U.S. Marines had turned the tide of battle and halted the #GermanArmy drive in the village of Bouresches and the wheatfields east of the village of Lucy-Le-Bocage. German forces had retreated back across the blood-soaked fields into the thick Belleau Wood forest south of the French village of Belleau.

For the next month (1-26 June 1918), a continuous battle for Belleau Wood took place where small unit actions of squads, platoons, companies and battalions ruled the day. Over 10,000 Marines & some US Army Soldiers became casualties. The fighting was desperate.

One isolated incident took place during the fighting. Individual and small four-man fireteam rushes were the rule in confronting & flanking stubborn German machine guns. In this case, three Marines were under German fire as they maneuvered for a better firing position. A Marine Sergeant (Sgt) and two Private First Class (PFC) Marines were conducting a patrol when hit by enemy fire. One PFC had been hit by German fire several yards away from his buddies. The small arms fire had badly wounded him. Alone and bleeding, the wounded Marine called out to his close friend.

The other PFC and Sgt were hugging the ground face down for cover in a shell crater. But as soon as the one PFC heard his wounded buddy cry out, he instinctively started to get up to go to him. At this, his Sgt reached over and pulled him back down, stating: ”No. Wait. We have to see what is out there.”

This area of Belleau Wood suddenly grew silent. There was a lull in the German firing. But worse, there were no more cries for help from their wounded Marine buddy.

The Sergeant said to the PFC, “I think he bought it.” (Note: the U.S. military term “bought it” refers to the slang used for an American serviceman being killed in action (KIA) … and his government insurance policy later purchasing/paying off the family farm … thus “bought the farm”).

Fearing for his friend in the silence, the PFC jumped up and ran to his buddy, picked him up, over his shoulder, and carried him back through incoming German bullets. Both were struck, with the brave PFC taking a round in his leg. But he managed to make it and they both tumbled into the shell crater alongside their Sgt.

The Marine Sgt. checked both of his Marines and frustratingly stated “Are you crazy? Now you’re wounded and he’s dead. All for nothing.”

But the surviving PFC responded: “It was worth it.”

“Worth it? How? declared his Sgt?”

In the spirit of “Semper Fi” (Semper Fidelis, the USMC motto of Always Faithful) … the PFC said: “When I got out there to him, he was still alive. He saw me, smiled, and said: “I knew you would come.”