Fifth & Sixth.

This is coolbert:

"There is no one on my left, and only a few on my right. I will hold."

From a comment to the blog by Colonel Craig USMC [Ret.]:

"The 5th and 6th Marines Regiments received this award in WW1."

The fourragere. For outstanding combat unit action!

That Fifth and Sixth Marine [USMC] regiments entitled to wear the fourragere for accomplishments and valorous action during the Great War [WW1] on repeated occasions and all done within a period of less than a year.

American troops entering the fray of WW1 during that most critical moment of 1918, the grand spring offensive of the German still going well, the situation in doubt, the British and French almost on the ropes and reeling!

That intervention of American combat units in numbers able to hold the line and even to give back in measure to the German what had been dished out to the British and French.

Foremost in the lead USMC regiments as incorporated into regular U.S. Army divisions the Marines maintaining all the while their unit cohesion and integrity vital to success on the battlefield.

That Fifth and Sixth USMC regiments comporting themselves so well on the battlefield as to be awarded the fourragere by the French indeed a high honor!!

From that World War I wiki history of the Fifth USMC Regiment:

"The unit was activated on June 8, 1917, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as the 5th Regiment of Marines. They immediately deployed to France and were assigned to the 1st Infantry Division of the United States Army. Later that year, in October, they were reassigned to 4th Brigade of Marines under the 2nd Infantry Division."

Combat actions of the Fifth Regiment during the WW1 to include:

* Belleau Wood.
* Saint-Mihiel.
* Meuse-Argonne.
* Aisne.
* Toulon-Troyon.
* Château-Thierry.
* Marbache.
* Limey.

"The regiment's [Fifth] actions in France earned them the right to wear the Fourragère (seen in the outline of the unit's logo), one of only two in the Marine Corps (the other being the 6th Marine Regiment). The award was a result of being the only regiments in the American Expeditionary Force to receive three Croix de guerre citations: two in the order of the army and one in the order of the corps—Fourragère and Croix de guerre with two Palms and Gilt Star. The Fourragère became part of the uniform of the unit, and all members of the organization are authorized to wear the decoration on the left shoulder of the uniform as long as they remain members of the organization."

From that World War I wiki history of the Sixth USMC Regiment:

"The 6th Marine Regiment was first organized at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, on 11 July 1917 . . . Virtually all of the senior officers and staff non-commissioned officers of the 6th Regiment were long-service professionals, while most junior officers and all privates were new joinees. Although the new men were short on experience, they were long on education: Colonel Catlin estimated that 60% of them were college men."

Combat actions of the Sixth Regiment during to WW1 to include:

* Château-Thierry.
* Belleau Wood.
* Soissons.
* St. Mihiel.
* Blanc Mont Ridge.

"For the actions at Belleau Wood, Soissons, and Blanc Mont, the 6th Marine Regiment was awarded the French croix de guerre three times. As a result, the regiment is authorized to wear the fourragère of the croix de guerre (seen in the unit's logo), one of only two units in the Marine Corps so honored (the other being the 5th Marine Regiment). The fourragère thereafter became part of the uniform of the unit, and all members of the modern 6th Marines are authorized to wear the fourragère while serving with the regiment."

Graves B. Erskine while a lieutenant serving with the Sixth Regiment wounded in action and forever after entitled to wear the fourragere " authorized to wear the decoration on the left shoulder of the uniform in perpetuity!!

coolbert.