A century ago Wednesday, the first shots were fired in one of the most important American military engagements ever -- and the deadliest battle in U.S. history.
World War I's Meuse-Argonne Offensive, which involved more than a million American soldiers and claimed the lives of 26,277, was launched in northern France on Sept. 26, 1918 to push the German army out of the country and reclaim a rail network vital to supplying enemy troops. The fight lasted a grueling 46 days and generated scores of stories of heroism and sacrifice.
But most notably, it helped bring an end to The Great War.
