Battle of Cantigny 105th Anniversary
Sunday, May 28
Free with paid admission
Join us as we commemorate the 105th Anniversary of the Battle of Cantigny.
On May 28, 1918, the U.S. Army’s First Division successfully attacked and defeated German forces holding the small village of Cantigny, 75 miles north of Paris, in America’s first significant battle of World War I. That day, Colonel Robert R. McCormick, then Major McCormick, commanded the 1st Battalion of the 5th Field Artillery, leading his unit in providing crucial weapon support. Understandably, the experience had a major impact on Col. McCormick for the rest of his life. Upon returning from his service in Europe, he renamed his family estate “Cantigny.”
To commemorate the battle’s anniversary, the First Division Museum will offer a moment of reflection with a wreath-laying, followed by heartfelt presentations and family-friendly activities.
Scheduled Events
Wreath Laying
Visitors Center, 11am
Join us in commemorating the Battle of Cantigny with a ceremonial wreath laying. Our keynote speaker will be Brigadier General Niave F. Knell, Deputy Commanding General of the 1st Infantry Division.
Cycling to Find My Grandfather’s Battlefields
Visitors Center Theater, 4pm
Follow Brett Hawkes, grandson of a Battle of Cantigny veteran, as he retraces his grandfather’s footsteps through France.
Drop-in Activities
Family Activities
First Division Museum, 11am – 5pm
Participate in educational WWI-themed activities.
World War I Oral Histories
Visitors Center Theater, 10am – 3:30pm
See and hear showings of oral histories from veterans of the Battle of Cantigny, presented by the Robert R. McCormick Research Center.