Armistice day

[shadowfax]

on this day in 1918, the leaders of Germany signed an armistice that effectively halted the combat in World War I--11:00 on the 11th day of the 11th month, as the story goes. I thought it worthwhile to commemmorate the event--what a turning point in modern history War was! i know none of us remembers it firsthand, but do any of you have any relatives who were in the war or killed in it? care to share any stories from them?

[eyelikeart]

No, my grandfather was at the Battle of the Bulge though in WWII. He received a Purple Heart for his efforts & near loss of his own life.

Speaking of which, I'm going to the D-Day Museum today. There's something going on over there.

[shadowfax]

it occurs to me that i should mention that today is veterans' day, as well. any stories at all...?

[eyelikeart]

Just going to the D-Day Museum. I haven't even been there yet, so it'll be interesting today...and packed I'm sure. I'll bring my camera along, maybe I'll get a shot or two. ;)

[shadowfax]

be sure and post them in here ;)

[Dont Hurt Me]

no story just a thank you to all that have served to preserve our way of life & freedoms and a big thank you to those that sacrificed their lives for us, there have been to many but with outthose selfless sacrifices we would be speaking german or russian under some tyrants rule.

[wdlove]

My maternal grandfather was in World War I. His specality was telegraphy. I don't ever remember him ever talking about the war. My father and father-in-law were in WW II.

To all my fellow veterans on the forum, Happy Veteran's Day!

[Kwyjibo]

Wow so todays the day we basically pre-cursed world war II and all the people that had to die because we decided to be jerks at versailles...

[shadowfax]

Originally posted by Kwyjibo
Wow so todays the day we basically pre-cursed world war II and all the people that had to die because we decided to be jerks at versailles... no. if you're going to be a jerk about it, you could at least check your history. this is the date of Germany's surrender. the war wasn't over. Versailles hadn't even been conceived yet. versailles was not concluded for another 3 years, at least.

we're here to honor or veteran's, and the best you can do is spit on politicians?

spitting on lowlifes is easy. showing gratitude for the sacrifices of others, in WWI as well as the other wars of the century--that's not so easy.

[wdlove]

Thank you for clearing that up shadowfax. It is indeed a day to honor our veterans. Our freedom to complain about our government is due to their sacrifices.

[Kwyjibo]

Originally posted by shadowfax
no. if you're going to be a jerk about it, you could at least check your history. this is the date of Germany's surrender. the war wasn't over. Versailles hadn't even been conceived yet. versailles was not concluded for another 3 years, at least.

we're here to honor or veteran's, and the best you can do is spit on politicians?

spitting on lowlifes is easy. showing gratitude for the sacrifices of others, in WWI as well as the other wars of the century--that's not so easy.

1. Don't call names
2. Nothing was aimed at you personally just the idea I mean it seems a bit short sighted to say we ended one war when another broke out so quickly, some historians refer to it as a single combat inititive simmply because nothing really stopped it just went into a lull.
3. Part of doing something is how you finish it, fighting vallantly in a war means nothing if your side loses.
4. Politicians sent all of those troops your honoring into battle ... if they hadn't you'd have nothing to respect

[pivo6]

My grandfather on my father's side was from Croatia, then Austria-Hungary, was in WWI. My matenal grandfather was a sargeant in the Dutch army stationed in Indonesia and was a prisoner of war. Both have since passed away, and I always try to remember them.

[shadowfax]

Originally posted by Kwyjibo
1. Don't call names
2. Nothing was aimed at you personally just the idea I mean it seems a bit short sighted to say we ended one war when another broke out so quickly, some historians refer to it as a single combat inititive simmply because nothing really stopped it just went into a lull.
3. Part of doing something is how you finish it, fighting vallantly in a war means nothing if your side loses.
4. Politicians sent all of those troops your honoring into battle ... if they hadn't you'd have nothing to respect 1. i didn't call you a jerk, i said you were being one, which means you're acting like one, and you were/are.
2. this thread is not about me; i am not taking personal offense. what appalls me is that you came into a thread about honoring men brave enough to do what they're called to do.
3. that's categorically wrong. you can fight valiantly and lose, and still have fought valiantly.
4. Politicians don't make men honorable. they use honorable men.

if you want to debate about the use of this war, make your own thread. this is about veteran's day and honoring men who fought for our country. this is not the time to tell them that what they did was a waste of time. go to the political forum for that.

[whocares]

Nov. 11 is a *big* day here in France. All towns, from the largest cities to the smallest villages commmorate this date, which is a bank holiday (day off work). Usually a procession walks down to the WWI memorial. Then the name of all French soldiers from the town who died during the war is called out and followed by a "Mort Pour la France" (died for France). This is quite an emotionnal experience.
I would like to be the first on this forum to extend gratitude to all US, Canadian, British and all other troops that help put an end to WWI.

[wdlove]

Originally posted by whocares
Nov. 11 is a *big* day here in France. All towns, from the largest cities to the smallest villages commmorate this date, which is a bank holiday (day off work). Usually a procession walks down to the WWI memorial. Then the name of all French soldiers from the town who died during the war is called out and followed by a "Mort Pour la France" (died for France). This is quite an emotionnal experience.
I would like to be the first on this forum to extend gratitude to all US, Canadian, British and all other troops that help put an end to WWI.

That is nice of you to say that whocares. My grandfather fought in France during WW I. It is nice to know that the sacrifices of our country is appreciated.

[shadowfax]

Originally posted by whocares
Nov. 11 is a *big* day here in France. All towns, from the largest cities to the smallest villages commmorate this date, which is a bank holiday (day off work). Usually a procession walks down to the WWI memorial. Then the name of all French soldiers from the town who died during the war is called out and followed by a "Mort Pour la France" (died for France). This is quite an emotionnal experience.
I would like to be the first on this forum to extend gratitude to all US, Canadian, British and all other troops that help put an end to WWI. wow, that is quite a memorial. I'd like to visit Europe sometime and see a WWI memorial... i feel like they can more readily appreciate the scrifices and the losses incurred in both wars, espectially the first one.

[LethalWolfe]

I don't know if any my relatives were involved in WWI. My Grandad on my mother's side was a chemist during WWII (researhing how to make jef fuel). My dad was in Vietnam.


Lethal

[shadowfax]

somehow, i don't have many vets in my family. i've never met my maternal grandfather, as he died when my mom was like 16, but he was a WWII/Korea vet. his oldest son, my favorite uncle, Danny, was in Vietnam in the Marines, though he never got off the aircraft carrier--or so he told me.

[whocares]

Originally posted by shadowfax
wow, that is quite a memorial. I'd like to visit Europe sometime and see a WWI memorial... i feel like they can more readily appreciate the scrifices and the losses incurred in both wars, espectially the first one.

Same for May 8th (WWII armistice).

The best WWI memorials I guess are the battlefields in the East of France. They basically buldozzer-ed over the battlefield and planted white crosses. Kinda like the WWII cemetaries in Normandie, exexpt that the crosses don't reflect a particular tomb. It was such a mess they couldn't sort somebattlefield fields out. So they just counted the dead, got their names, used a bulldozer and planted a cross for each and every soldier. Goes to show the absolute horror of the whole thing.

To give more insight into the horror, French authorities estimate it'll take about 400 years(!) to rid the easr of France from unexploded WWI bombs:eek:

[eyelikeart]

It was packed there today, so I couldn't get a lot.

[eyelikeart]

maybe I'll include the images... ;)

[whocares]

The French Ministry of Defense has recently put up a website with the hand-written "notification of death" archives for all 1.5 million French soldiers who died in WWI (out of the total 9 million dead).

[eyelikeart]

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[eyelikeart]

another...