Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Veterans' Day
In remembrance of the 90th anniversary of the armistice, I'd thought I'd excerpt a few paragraphs from a letter my grandfather wrote to his brother and sister from the battlegrounds in France. The letter was printed in the Lewisburg (PA) Journal on September 13, 1918.
Well, we are in it! What do you think of your boys now?... I suppose you have received word of the death of Col. W.W. Fetzer. He was killed instantly. A shell exploded near and killed four other men who were with him. His grave is here and I see it quite often. We have fixed it up with a cross and a fence to last until after the war when the remains will be taken home. Have lost quite a few good friends here and am finding their new graves every day.... This is a hell-hole! Dead all about. Phew!
...
Were you here you would see scenes never to be forgotten. We must run for our dug-outs every night for we are constantly bombed by enemy aircrafts. It gets a fellow's goat for we cannot fight back and then they use large star shells (like big searchlights, only throwing light in all directions) to help them search us out. Damn! But, oh! boy, they are getting theirs and will get it harder as time passes and we get "madder."
...
Remember me to all and tell them not to worry about the boys from Penn's Woods -- they have all earned a name for themselves and we are going to win bigger honors.
Thankfully, my grandfather made it home, married twice, and was the father to four boys, all of whom served their country with honor. God bless all those who fought for our freedoms.
Well, we are in it! What do you think of your boys now?... I suppose you have received word of the death of Col. W.W. Fetzer. He was killed instantly. A shell exploded near and killed four other men who were with him. His grave is here and I see it quite often. We have fixed it up with a cross and a fence to last until after the war when the remains will be taken home. Have lost quite a few good friends here and am finding their new graves every day.... This is a hell-hole! Dead all about. Phew!
...
Were you here you would see scenes never to be forgotten. We must run for our dug-outs every night for we are constantly bombed by enemy aircrafts. It gets a fellow's goat for we cannot fight back and then they use large star shells (like big searchlights, only throwing light in all directions) to help them search us out. Damn! But, oh! boy, they are getting theirs and will get it harder as time passes and we get "madder."
...
Remember me to all and tell them not to worry about the boys from Penn's Woods -- they have all earned a name for themselves and we are going to win bigger honors.
Thankfully, my grandfather made it home, married twice, and was the father to four boys, all of whom served their country with honor. God bless all those who fought for our freedoms.
