On June 6, 1918, the Second Division snatched the initiative from the Germans and started an offensive on its front which did not end until July 1, 1918. The Marine Brigade captured Hill 142 and Bouresches on June 6, 1918, and in the words of Gen. Pershing, “sturdily held its ground against the enemy’s best guard divisions,” and completely cleared Bois de Belleau of the enemy on June 26, 1918, a major of Marines sending in his famous message: “Woods now U. S. Marine Corps’ entirely.” The American commander in chief in his first report calls this fighting “the battle of Belleau Wood” and states, “our men proved their superiority, and gained a strong tactical position with far greater loss to the enemy than to ourselves.” In his final report he states: “The enemy having been halted, the Second Division commenced a series of vigorous attacks on June 4, which resulted in the capture of Belleau Woods [on June 26] after very severe fighting. The village of Bouresches was taken soon after [on June 6] and on July 1 Vaux was captured. In these operations the Second Division met with most desperate resistance by Germany’s best troops.” On July 1, 1918, the Third Brigade captured Vaux. The Artillery, Engineers, and the other elements of the Second Division assisted materially in these successes, while the Seventh regiment of the Third Division was in Belleau Wood for a few days about the middle of June. During these 31 days of constant fighting, the last 26 of which has been defined by general headquarters of the American Expeditionary Forces as a “local engagement,” the Second Division suffered 1,811 battle deaths (of which approximately 1,062 were Marines) and suffered additional casualties amounting to 7,252 (of which approximately 3,615 were Marines). It was that fighting and those 9,063 casualties that first made the name Chateau-Thierry famous. The achievements of the Fourth Brigade of Marines in the Chateau-Thierry sector was twice recognized by the French. The first, which changed the name of the Bois de Belleau, was a beautiful tribute spontaneously made to the successes and to the losses of the Fourth Brigade of Marines, and shows the deep effect that the retaking of Belleau Wood and other near-by positions from the Germans had on the feelings of the French and the morale of the Allies. Official maps were immediately modified to conform with the provisions of the order, the _plan directeur_ used in later operations bearing the name “Bois de la Brigade de Marine.” The French also used this new name in their orders, as illustrated by an ordre général dated August 9, 1918, signed by the commanding general of the Sixth French Army, reading in part as follows: Avant la grande offensive du 18 Juillet, les troupes américaines faisant partie de la VIe Armée française se sont distinguées en enlevant à l’ennemi le Bois de la Brigade De Marine et le village de Vaux, en arretant son offensive sur la Marine et à Fossoy.