ɪn ɑːktˈoʊbɚ nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd ˈeɪtiːn, mˈeɪdʒɚ tʃˈɑːɹlz wˈɪɾəlsi ɪz ˈɔːɹdɚd baɪ mˈeɪdʒɚ dʒˈɛnɚɹəl ɹˈɑːbɚt ˌælɪɡzˈændɚ tə lˈiːd ɹˈʌfli fˈaɪvhˈʌndɹɪd fˈɪfti sˈoʊldʒɚz ʌvðə juːnˈaɪɾᵻd stˈeɪts ˈɑːɹmiz sˈɛvənti sˈɛvənθ ˈɪnfəntɹi dᵻvˈɪʒən ˌɪntʊ ðɪ ˈɑːɹɡɑːn fˈɔːɹɪst tə ɹᵻpˈɛl ðə dʒˈɜːmən ɐdvˈæns.
In October 1918, Major Charles Whittlesey is ordered by Major General Robert Alexander to lead roughly 550 soldiers of the United States Army's 77th Infantry Division into the Argonne forest to repel the German advance.