Which 1918 battle in France earned the Marines the nickname 'Devil Dog'?

• A. Battle of Tarawa
• B. Battle of Guadalcanal
• C. Battle of Belleau Wood
• D. Battle of Wake Island

Answer: (C)

Fierce, tenacious frontline fighting in France in 1918 showed how the Marines could absorb punishment and keep pressing forward. At Belleau Wood, near Château-Thierry, American Marines held ground and attacked through dense woods against determined German assaults, a grind that cemented their reputation for grit in close-quarters combat. German soldiers reportedly dubbed them “Teufelshunde”—Devil Dogs—because of the relentless ferocity and endurance they displayed under fire. That battle became a defining moment for the Marine Corps, shaping their fearless image in World War I. The other battles listed happened in the Pacific theater during World War II, not in France in 1918.