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The Case:
A woman inherits a map of a World War I battlefield in France from her grandfather, an engineer under General Pershing.
The map is of St. Mihiel, a little-known but key battle in which U.S. forces took the lead, fighting for the first time unaccompanied by the French or British armies.
The battle, fought near Verdun during the final months of the war, was critical in routing the Germans and helped pave the way for the Armistice.
The map also includes detailed warnings about what to do in the event of a gas attack. Could this map be an authentic relic from this critical battle?
History Detectives travels to Louisiana, Maryland and Pennsylvania to learn more about this important conflict and shed light on the origins of gas warfare.
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