Orange County Executive Steven M. Neuhaus and the County’s Veterans Service Agency (VSA) hosted a ceremony on Tues., Sept. 29 to honor the 40 County residents who died 102 years ago on the same day during World War I.
The 40 Orange County residents served in Companies E and L of the 107th Regiment of the 27th Division and were killed in action during the Battle of the Hindenburg Line in Northern France.
“The Battle of the Hindenburg Line is one of the most famous engagements that occurred during World War I,” Neuhaus said. “We will never forget the sacrifices that these 40 soldiers made in defense of the freedoms we all enjoy every day in America and here in Orange County. The event was different this year, with strict safety and social distancing guidelines in place, but it was still a fitting tribute for these World War I heroes.”
After an intense, 56-hour-long attack, Allied forces breached the Hindenburg Line, the last line of German defenses, on Sept. 29, 1918. The Hindenburg Line was a heavily fortified zone running several miles behind the active front between the north coast of France and Belgium. By September 1918, the Hindenburg Line consisted of six defensive lines approximately 6,000 yards deep, equipped with lengths of barbed wire, concrete emplacements and firing positions. Breaking through the Hindenburg Line helped the U.S. and its allies win World War I, which ended on Nov. 11, 1918.
Orange County Executive Steven M. Neuhaus salutes during a ceremony on Tues., Sept. 29 to honor the 40 County residents who died 102 years ago on the same day during World War I.
