The Lost Battalion 2001

In October 1918, Major Charles Whittlesey is ordered by Maj. Gen. Robert Alexander to lead roughly 550 soldiers of the United States Army’s 77th Infantry Division into the Argonne forest to blunt the German advance. Alexander has little faith in Whittlesey, mocking his status as an “overeducated New York lawyer,” and describes his men as “acceptable losses”—a harsh prospect that weighs heavily on Whittlesey. Whittlesey’s unit is drawn largely from immigrants and the working class of New York City’s Lower East Side, a mix of backgrounds united by shared hardship and grit. He is supported in command by Captain George McMurtry [(/actor/phil-mckee)], a veteran of the Rough Riders, and Lt. Leak [(/actor/jay-rodan)], an inexperienced officer from Texas who has to prove himself under fire. The trio faces a dangerous assignment: push through the German lines, expecting to be joined on their flanks by American and French forces that, in reality, have already retreated.

Whittlesey and his men press on and fight their way forward, only to discover, to their dismay, that the expected relief never comes. They become surrounded and isolated, cut off from direct communication with headquarters. The battalion is eventually joined by riflemen commanded by Captain Nelson Holderman [(/actor/adam-james)], who brings a crucial reinforcement just as supplies run perilously low. Desperate to reach command, Whittlesey sends runners to headquarters, but none return; he relies on carrier pigeons to reach Alexander, who is well aware that the retreat has occurred but nonetheless instructs the battalion to push ahead.

As time wears on, American artillery begins to rain down on their own positions in a devastating case of friendly fire, forcing the unit to endure brutal bombardment while still holding their line. Whittlesey and his men endure relentless assaults, fighting through close-quarters combat to keep the line intact. The struggle is defined by resilience, meticulous defense, and a stubborn refusal to surrender, even as supplies vanish and morale flags.

During the siege, the Germans capture Lt. Leak and a wounded soldier and attempt to use them to coax a surrender. A German officer who speaks fluent English tries to persuade the Americans that surrender could save lives, but the allies stubbornly refuse. In a tense moment, Lt. Leak is pressed to consider the offer, and the captured soldier tries to relay a message back to Whittlesey. The confrontation intensifies when the German envoy suggests that surrender might end the bloodshed, and Lt. Leak famously retorts, > “New York gangsters.” This defiant stance underscores the battalion’s resolve to stand their ground rather than concede.

A pivotal turn comes when an American pilot, flying over the line to locate the trapped unit, is engaged by German fire. The pilot manages to signal his position on a map and return to base, even as he is mortally wounded, providing the crucial beacon that allows reinforcements to pinpoint the battalion’s location after days of isolation. After six long days, relief finally arrives and the Germans withdraw five days later. Maj. Gen. Robert Alexander reaches the lines to congratulate Whittlesey, who remains furious at the disarray that preceded their survival. The general reassures him that the hold at the Argonne enabled a larger breakthrough for the American advance, and, despite the commander’s reluctance to leave his men, offers a ride back to headquarters in his car. Whittlesey declines, choosing to stay with his exhausted—yet undefeated—unit.

When the guns finally fall silent, about 197 of the 550 men remain, a staggering reminder of the price of war. The battle marks the end of World War I just three weeks later, and Whittlesey is awarded the Medal of Honor for his leadership. The unit, forever known as the “Lost Battalion,” secures an enduring place in history, emblematic of courage under extreme pressure and the fighting spirit that defined the American war effort.