On 28 May 1918, the 28th Infantry Regiment of the US First Division launched an attack on German-held Cantigny. This battle was the first major action the Americans had seen during the Great War. It helped to contain the German offensives of spring 1918, raised Allied moral and showed how competent the American soldiers could be. The Americans suffered more than one thousand casualties during this battle, including 199 killed.
Today, the 1st American Division Memorial and the 28th American Infantry Regiment at Cantigny testify to these feats of arms.