Great War battle key to our lasting alliance
AS the world enters its third decade of the 21st century, I believe nation-to-nation ties are more important now than ever. The bond shared between Australia and the US is unbreakable, transcending formal military alliances.
This relationship builds upon generations of enhanced rapport, interconnectedness, and strength. Standing shoulder to shoulder, Australia and the US have a perennial alliance dedicated to the principles of individual freedom.
This bond between our two great nations was forged in battle during WWI. This seminal engagement was not at Gallipoli, where Australian soldiers (Diggers) instilled the nexus of Australia’s national identity in the personification of the Anzac spirit.
Nor was this fight the Second Battle of the Marne, where the American Third Infantry Division’s soldiers (Doughboys), earned their special designation as the “Rock of the Marne” attributed to the division’s actions there. The action that built the foundation for the enduring military partnership between Australia and the US was at the Battle of Hamel.
While Hamel is probably one of the lesser known engagements during the Great War, it marked the genesis of Australians and Americans standing together in times of conflict. 102 years ago, on July 4, 1918 – coincidentally America’s 142nd birthday – on the outskirts of the small commune of Le Hamel in northern France, several American infantry companies fell under the command of Australia’s most revered military leader, General John Monash.
Ultimately, the Battle of Hamel lasted about 90 minutes as General Monash’s men vanquished the Germans.
But this short clash came with a heavy toll with over 1400 Australians and Americans killed or wounded – approximately 15 casualties per minute during the assault.
Two Diggers and one Doughboy were awarded their nation’s highest military honour – the Victoria Cross and the Medal of Honour, respectively – for acts of gallantry, bravery, and valour.
This victory is cemented the present-day alliance and established its first achievements. The Battle of Hamel was the first time Diggers and Doughboys fought side-byside in the trenches under the constant debilitating and lethal effects of mustard gas and artillery explosions.
It also marked the first time in the history of the US Army that American troops fought under the command of a foreign officer. This cornerstone in our relationship, born during a bloody conflagration, established the deep connection that is shared between our two militaries that holds true to this day.
Australian and American comrades-in-arms fought bravely on the peninsula of Korea, in the jungles of Vietnam, in the deserts of Iraq, and on the formidable and varied terrain of Afghanistan.
Today, as the global strategic and economic centre of gravity shifts to the Indo-pacific region, our two nations continue to strengthen our commitment to one another. We engage in complex, combined-warfighter training together nearly every year in the biennial military exercises Talisman Sabre and Hamel (yes, that Hamel).
We value and trust the Australian military implicitly, and are honoured to have some of your senior leaders serving as members of our staffs at US Indo-pacific Command, US Army Pacific Command, Operation Resolute Support in Afghanistan, and Operation Inherent Resolve.
Exchange and liaison military officers and non-commissioned officers from both countries also serve in a multitude of tactical to strategic units throughout Australia and the US – a testament to the level of mutual trust and confidence each nation has in the other’s talented and professional warfighters.
The depth and breadth of our relationship is further underscored in bilateral security co-operation activities, which are second to none. From collaborative research and development activities, to shared science and technology undertakings, our militaries are on the cutting edge of far-reaching advancements in electronic warfare, hypersonics, and autonomous systems/artificial intelligence, to name a few.
And from subject matter expert exchanges, to co-development matériel opportunities, we are trailblazing innovations and initiatives aimed at closing the “tyranny of distance” between our sovereign borders.
Our relationship is the definition of equal and highly capable partners that inexorably combine to be the pre-eminent fighting force in the Asia-pacific.
It is an alliance that will endure and persevere. Pacific partners means the united fortitude of our militaries, together, is unshakeable and remains a model not just for the greater Pacific region, but for the world. No matter the challenge, Australia and the US can depend on each other, just as the Diggers and Doughboys did 102 years ago.
Major Matthew Alan House, US Army, is posted at the US Embassy in Canberra in the Office of Defence Cooperation. He previously served in Germany, Iraq, Japan, Vietnam, and
across the US.