Patrick K. O'Donnell

And there was a groundswell of a movement within the United States to bring the boys home.

And the Army initially said, well, they'll be able to identify the 2,100 unknowns.

And then there became a movement after seeing the French and the British recognize an unknown soldier within the United States.

And a woman, an editor with a paper called The Delineator,

Marie Maloney was a key proponent to bring home the boys, along with Congressman Hamilton Fish from New York City.

And he was an officer within the

an all-black unit that fought on the Western Front.

He wanted to recognize his men as well as the unknowns.

And there becomes this kind of groundswell to bring home an unknown soldier.

And the process begins in September 1921, where they look at the major cemeteries, which also mirror

The major killing grounds in World War I where the American Expeditionary Force fought, like the cemetery at Belleau Wood, for instance, the cemetery at the Meuse Argonne.

They sent teams there to identify the remains of unknown soldiers, and they specifically wanted an individual that had no identification whatsoever identified.

no diaries or letters that were on their uniforms, specifically screened them.

And then they brought several of those men back to a French town or city, and they lay several caskets with their flag draped in this room to identify an unknown soldier.

to bring home within the group.

And that honor fell upon a young enlisted man, younger was his name, who fought with the 2nd Infantry Division.

The 4th Brigade of the Marines were part of the 2nd Division.

This was an elite unit within the American Expeditionary Force that fought in most of the major battles.

And they were just a decisive sort of a super division, if you will.

And Younger is chosen because he's one of the most decorated and actually the most combat experienced soldier.