GOSHEN – Orange County honored the 40 county residents who died more than 100 years ago on the same day in World War I.
The 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.
At the ceremony held at the county veterans’ cemetery in Goshen on Thursday, County Executive Steven Neuhaus said the Battle of the Hindenburg Line “is one of the most famous engagements that occurred during World War I. 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.”
After an intense 56-hour-long attack, Allied forces breached the Hindenburg Line, the last line of German defenses, on September 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.
The Hindenburg Line consisted of six defensive lines some 6,000 yards deep, equipped with lengths of barbed wire, concrete emplacements and firing positions.
Breaking through the line helped the U.S. and its allies win the war, which ended on November 11, 1918.
September 29, 1918 served as one of the darkest days of our county’s history due to the loss of so many soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice on the same day,” said County Veterans Services Director Christian Farrell. “Whether it’s more than a century ago, or just a few months ago, we will always remember our fallen heroes.”
