Charles
Whittlesey gained fame as an American soldier and Medal of Honor recipient who
led the "Lost Battalion" in World War I. The Lost Battalion is the
name given to nine companies of the United States 77th Division, roughly 554
men, who were isolated by German forces during World War I after an American
attack in the Argonne Forest in October 1918. They were led by Major
Whittlesey. Although he was honored for his bravery, the ramifications of the event
weighed heavily upon him. He was last seen on the evening of November 26, 1921,
on a passenger ship bound from New York City to Havana, and is presumed to have
committed suicide by jumping overboard, but no trace of him was ever found.
