Where did the expression "Lafayette We Are Here" come from?

Question

I heard it many years ago and now I find myself curious.

Answer 1

Words spoken by an American military officer in 1917 at the tomb of a French patriot, the Marquis de Lafayette, who fought for the United States in the Revolutionary War. “Lafayette, we are here” suggested that, by entering World War I on the side of France, Americans were repaying a debt to the French, who had helped the United States gain its independence from Britain. Some have identified the person who first said “Lafayette, we are here” as General John Pershing.

Answer 2

The Marquis de Lafayette was a french nobleman who volunteered to fight for the fledgling United States, in it's war for Independence from Great Britain. The King of France, an enemy of King George, provided vital supplies and funds to America. After the revolution, the U.S. recognized France as a special friend. When U.S. troops arrived in France, during WWI, the phrase signified a fulfillment of the promise to repay France.

Answer 3

Lafayette, a Frenchman, fought with the colonists against the British in the Revolutionary War.
In WWI, when the Allies came to the aid of the French, they used this expression as a we are returning the favor.