NAGGIN’ LETTERS – A doughboy from the hills of Kentucky kept getting letters from his wife. He was too busy fighting for his country to respond. Finally, he had enough so he penned the following response:
Dear Nancy, I been agittin yore naggin letters all along. Now I want to tell ye, I’m dam tired of them. For the first time in my life I’m a fightin in a big war, and I want to enjoy it as long as it lasts. Botkin p. 11
DOG TAGS – Only 58% of dead soldiers in the Civil War were identified. Aware of the possibility of dying unidentified, soldiers began to place pieces of paper or handkerchiefs in their uniforms with their names on them. Some soldiers etched their names on wooden disks and wore them around their necks. Others sanded down sides of coins and etched their names on them. Merchants picked up on this potential market and began to sell “soldier’s pins” which were metal disks that were engraved with the soldier’s name. The other side often had an eagle of shield and/or a phrase like “War for the Union” or “Liberty, Union, and Equality”. Since they resembled the disks that pet owners put on their dogs, they became known as dog tags. The original dog tags started when Thomas Jefferson wrote a law in Virginia to require identification of dogs for the purpose of locating dogs who killed livestock. In the 1890’s, the military experimented with identification disks. By the time of our entry into WWI, they were required. The disk had the soldier’s name, rank, serial number, unit, and religion. By Vietnam, rank and unit had been removed and blood type had been added. By the way, it is a myth that there is a notch in the disk (the “tooth notch”) so it could be jammed between a corpse’s teeth. The notch was actually used to keep the tag in place in the machine that did the embossing. Plunges Again pp. 50-52
THE TAXIS OF THE MARNE – In September, 1914, the opening German offensive had reached to within 14 miles of Paris. One-third of Parisians had evacuated the city. The British and French armies were in dire need of reinforcements to help in what became known as the First Battle of the Marne. 6,000 soldiers from the French 7th Division were available in Paris and needed to be rushed to the front. Gen. Gallieni, the military governor of Paris, ordered all taxicabs be gathered at the Esplanade des Invalides. 600 taxis, along with trucks, limos, and cars, were used. Each taxi carried five soldiers. The journey that night was perilous. To avoid bombardment, the vehicles could not use their headlights. The taxis made two trips each and the reinforcements helped win the battle and save Paris. The taxi drivers were told to run their meters and they were reimbursed from the French treasury. Plunges Again pp. 90-91
THE FLU PANDEMIC – It is estimated that 20-40 million people died from the flu in 1918-1920. That would be ten times the number who died in the Black Plague of the Middle Ages. Some estimates are as high as 50-100 million victims (3-5 % of the Earth’s population). One in five Earthlings contracted it. One is three Americans got it, which was 675,000. More civilians died from the flu than soldiers died in WWI. It was called the Spanish flu, but not because it came from Spain. Since there was a war going on, the belligerents censored stories about the pandemic. Spain, being neutral, had newspapers publishing reports about the flu, plus King Alfonso XIII famously contracted it. Hence, “Spanish flu”. There are various theories of where it broke out. One is that it started in a troop staging area and hospital camp in France. Another claims it began at Fort Riley, Kansas. The unusual thing about the disease was it struck mostly healthy young men and women instead of children and the elderly. In the U.S., reaction bordered on panic. Citizens were ordered to wear masks. Public places like schools, churches, and theaters closed. Some communities forbid shaking hands or spitting. Here was a nursery rhyme from then: I had a little bird / It’s name was Enza / I opened the window / And in flew Enza Plunges Again pp. 249-250
WWI SLANG –
in the trenches – being in action / today it means actively working on something
digging in – making yourself at home in your trench
trench coat – long waterproof coat / basically the same
shell shock – PTSD / today it means after effects of a traumatic experience
screaming meemies – German artillery shells that made a screeching noise / today it means hysteria
over the top – going on an attack / today it means doing something extreme
no man’s land – the area between the opposing trenches / today it means something that is neither here nor there
tripwire – a wire that warned of an attack / today it means something that might trip you up
cooties – lice / today it means something that is icky
basket case – rumor had it that soldiers would sometimes have all four limbs blown off and baskets had to be used instead of stretchers to carry them / today it means insane
strafe – from the German word for “punish”; used in propaganda like “Gott strafe England” (God punish England); it evolved into a word for attacks, especially involving machine guns and then specifically by planes firing their machine guns at soldiers on the ground
shrapnel – a shell that explodes above the ground spraying an area with iron balls; named after the inventor Henry Shrapnel in 1806; in WWI, it became associated with any bomb fragments
tank – when the British invented this vehicle, they called it a tank as in “water carrier” to keep its purpose a secret
– smoke a thermometer – check your temperature
Uncle Plunges pp. 101-103 / warhistoryonline.com
HENRY JOHNSON – When on outpost duty, he heard wire cutters being used, so he and Needham Roberts went to investigate and both were wounded by grenades. The outpost was being attacked by at least a dozen Germans. He killed three Germans with his rifle, then used his 8 inch bolo knife to club a fourth who yelled: “The little black SOB has got me.” Johnson responded: “Yes, and his lil’ black SOB is going to get you again if you get up.” He looked around and saw two Germans carrying the wounded Roberts away. He put the knife through one of their skulls and into the other’s throat. The German officer now came at him with a pistol and shot Johnson who fell to his knees, but he drove the knife into the German’s stomach. The remaining Germans had had enough and retreated. Johnson hurried them by throwing grenades at them. Johnson had suffered numerous wounds. He was awarded the French Croix de Guerre (their equivalent of the Medal of Honor). He did not get the Medal of Honor until 2014. Better late than never. from The Doughboys
SAMUEL WOODFILL – His company was pinned down by machine gun fire from three sides. He crawled forward and spotted a machine gun in a church tower, but couldn’t see the gunner. He fired where he thought the gunner would be. The gun would stop for a few seconds, then resume. After five shots, the gun was silenced. Later five dead Germans were found at the gun. He then killed a machine gunner in a stable with one shot. He advanced from shell hole to shell hole to approach a machine gun in a bush. He shot five gunners in a row who were aiming at him. He shot the last with a pistol as he charged at him with a bayonet. Passing through the woods, he tripped over a “dead” body which grabbed his gun, but he shot the German in the heart. He moved on to another machine gun and killed all five in the crew. He took three ammunition carriers prisoner. He crawled 30 yards through mud to kill all five in a fifth machine gun. He jumped into the trench and shot a German officer. He turned to face a German charging at him, his pistol jammed, he seized a pick-axe, and killed the enemy. He turned to see the officer aiming at him, so he brained him. He was awarded the Medal of Honor and Gen. Pershing called him the greatest American soldier in the war. from The Doughboys
FRANK LUKE – Luke was a fighter pilot who became known as “The Arizona Balloon-Buster” for his specialty of shooting down German observation balloons. These hot-air balloons were raised on cables to give a vantage over Allied lines. The observer sat in a basket hanging from the balloon. It was dangerous work, but they usually had a parachute and if any danger lurked, the balloon could be cranked down. Since the balloons were spying on you, they were an important target. Being filled with helium, they were very flammable, but they were well defended by anti-aircraft guns and sometimes German fighter planes. Many Allied fighter pilots refused to risk their lives going after them, even though destroying one counted the same as shooting down a plane as far as victories in the air were concerned. Luke was fearless and set the record for most balloons shot down. Here was his greatest exploit. On Sept. 18, 1918, he was flying over St. Mihiel during the offensive. He had set out alone to attack two balloons. The approach was dangerous because the balloons were protected by machine guns and anti-aircraft artillery. Plus, there were six German fighters waiting in ambush. Luke destroyed one balloon on his first pass. He then became aware of three of the German planes. He attacked them head-on and shot down two. The third tried to escape and Luke gave chase. He altered course slightly to flame the second balloon. He then caught up with the third German plane and shot it down. He had achieved five victories in eight minutes. Eventually, his luck ran out and he was forced to crash land. Pulling a pistol, he had vowed not to be taken alive. German soldiers shot him as he opened fire. He finished with 18 kills – 14 balloons and 4 planes. He achieved this in ten missions over an eight day period! He was the first American airman to be awarded the Medal of Honor. from The Doughboys and Wikipedia
EUGENE BULLARD – Eugene was an African-American who did not like racism in America. He stowed away on a ship to France. In 1914, he joined the French Foreign Legion to fight in WWI. He was wounded at Verdun and received the French Croix de Guerre. After recovering from his wounds, he joined the French Flying Corps, thus becoming the very first black combat pilot in world history. He became known as the “Black Swallow of Death”. When the U.S. entered the war, it took all Americans who were flying with the French into the American Air Corps. But not the blacks. Later, Bullard was grounded for insubordination for a spat with an officer. His flying days were over and he rejoined the infantry. After the war, he became a Paris bandleader, married a countess, and opened his own nightclub. During WWII, he participated in the French resistance. maroon p. 28
WITHOUT A PARACHUTE – On January 6, 1918, American airman J.H. Hedley was flying in the back seat of a Canadian plane at 15,000 feet. The plane was attacked from above and behind by a German fighter plane, so the Canadian pilot went into a steep dive to escape. When he did this, Hedley fell out. Without a parachute, he was seemingly doomed. But he got caught in the suction of the dive and when the plane pulled out, he landed on the back of the plane and was able to hang on until the plane landed. maroon p. 52
THE LUSITANIA – Passengers were warned by a notice placed in New York newspapers by the German government. They could have taken a less luxurious American liner that sailed two hours later and arrived at Liverpool unharmed. 22 ships were sunk during the period that the ship sailed. The u-boats were targeting cargo ships bringing supplies to Great Britain. Although a passenger ship, the Lusitania was secretly carrying 1,248 cases of artillery shells and 4,927 crates of rifle cartridges. The British commander was under orders to ram any u-boat and this type of thing had happened before. U-20 captain Walter Schweiger was 32 years old. He was rugged, educated, and charming. His crew had pet dogs. When he sighted the liner, he didn’t think twice about attacking it. He hit it with one torpedo at 2:10 P.M. The ship immediately began to settle by the bow. The listing caused panic. Only 6 of 48 lifeboats were put into use. The ship sank in 18 minutes.
EFFECTS OF PROPAGANDA – People who owned German Shepherds were suspected of being spies. The German language forbidden in some schools. Several cities changed names. Germantown, Texas became Schroeder. Symphonies stopped playing Mozart and Beethoven. Books by German authors were removed from libraries. German measles were renamed “liberty measles” and hamburger became “liberty steak”. maroon 57
INTOLERANCE – In February, 1919, a jury set Frank Petroni free after deliberating two minutes. Petroni had killed a man for saying “To hell with the U.S.!” At a victory bond rally in May, 1919 a man refused to stand for the National Anthem. A sailor shot him in the back. The crowd applauded. maroon 72
GERMAN REPORT ON THE DOUGHBOYS – “The 2nd American Division must be reckoned a good one and may even perhaps be reckoned as a storm troop. The different attacks were carried out with bravery and dash. The moral effect of our gunfire cannot seriously impede the advance of the American infantry. The Americans nerves are not worn out. The qualities of the men individually may be described as remarkable. They are physically well set up, their attitude is good, and they range in age from 18-28. They lack at present only training and experience to make formidable adversaries. The men are in fine spirits and are filled with naïve assurance. The words of a prisoner are clear: ‘we kill or get killed.’” maroon 124
WWI POEM – A poet wrote this during the war:
Five hundred miles of Germans,
Five hundred miles of French
And Englishmen, Scotch, and Irish men,
All fighting for the trench;
And when the trench is taken,
And many thousands slain,
The losers, with more slaughter,
Retake the trench again.
Lawrence 153
RAT ALARM – A soldier was asleep in his dugout. Around 3 A.M., he was awakened by two rats fighting over a severed hand on his chest. Lawrence 153
GOODBYE, MAW – A popular song among the doughboys when they first arrived on the Western Front had the lines:
Goodbye, Maw! Goodbye, Paw!
Goodbye, mule, with yer old heehaw!
I may not know what this war’s about,
But you bet, by gosh, I’ll soon find out!
Lawrence 155
CHER AMI – The AEF used carrier pigeons to send messages. 600 pigeons donated by British pigeon fanciers. When the famous “Lost Battalion” got surrounded by German forces, to make matters worse, it was being bombarded by American artillery. They were down to their last pigeon, a little bird named Cher Ami. A message was attached to her leg that read “Our own artillery is dropping a heavy barrage directly on us. For heaven’s sake, stop it!” The little bird flew off, into a nearby tree. The men tried yelling at it and throwing rocks at it. Finally, a soldier climbed the tree and shook the branch to relaunch the mission. The Germans opened fire and knocked the little bird down, but it rose up and flew like Woodstock to the American lines. It arrived at its destination with a wounded breastbone and the message dangling from a shattered leg. The artillery battalion ended its shelling and later the battalion was rescued. Cher Ami was awarded the French Croix de Guerre and sent back to America in its own stateroom on the ship. It appeared at bond rallies and other patriotic events. When it died in 1918, it was stuffed and placed in the Smithsonian Institution. Lawrence 156-157
SERGEANT STUBBY – Stubby was a stray pit bull / terrier who was adopted by Private Conroy during training. He was smuggled onto the transport that took Conroy to France. He was taught to salute. He was exposed to poison gas and spent some time in the hospital. After this he would always warn of poison gas attacks. He once took shrapnel in his leg and chest. He was trained to go into no man’s land and respond to calls for help to locate the wounded. Once he captured a German spy mapping the front line. Because of this he was promoted to Sergeant. He was treated as a war hero when he returned to America and went on war bonds tours. He met Presidents Wilson, Harding, and Coolidge. He received a Humane Society medal from Gen. Pershing.
“I LOVE MY COUNTRY” – Gen. Pershing was visiting a hospital. He approached the bed of a badly wounded soldier. He heard the soldier muttering to himself: “I love my country. I’d fight for my country. I’d starve and go thirsty for my country. I’d die for my country. But if ever this damned war is over, I’ll never love another country again.” Fuller 73-74
WHEN IS THE WAR GOING TO BE OVER? – Ferdinand Foch’s chauffeur was constantly being asked by journalists and friends when the war was going to end. They figured he would have inside information. He told his friends that as soon as he heard something, he would tell them. The next time he was driving the general, Foch said to him: “Hey Pierre, when do you think the war will end?” Fuller 415
THE LOST BATTALION – In 1918, the AEF was fighting in the dense Argonne Forest. The 77th Division was given the mission to push the Germans back. Major Charles Whittlesey commanded the 1st Battalion of the 308th Infantry Regiment. His unit had seen a lot of action and was exhausted, but they gamely participated in the offensive. He, and other unit commanders, were told that under no circumstances were they to give up any ground gained. The 670 men went over the top on Oct. 2 and managed to find a gap in the German lines that allowed them to push forward. Unfortunately, the units to the left and right were not so lucky and soon the 1st Battalion lost contact on both sides. The Germans cut off their line of retreat, which was not an option given Whittlesey’s orders, but it did mean they were cut off from supplies and reinforcements. Surrounded, the unit came under heavy fire from German artillery and machine guns. The doughboys dug fox holes and hunkered down waiting for help. Supplies soon ran low, as did ammunition. Bandages had to be reused when men died. A nearby stream could provide water, but German snipers would pick off anyone trying to fill canteens. The Germans launched attacks to try to wipe out the pesky Americans. Sometimes there was hand-to-hand fighting. Even the use of flamethrowers was not enough for the Germans to win. Newspaper reporters got wind of the story and began to call it the “Lost Battalion”. A big problem was the location of the unit was not clearly known back at headquarters. In fact, at one point, inaccurate coordinates resulted in friendly artillery bombing the unit. This was when the carrier pigeon “Cher Ami” was sent to stop the bombardment. Attempts to drop supplies by air were not successful with the supplies ending up in German hands. Finally, American forces broke through to rescue them. Only 191 of the survivors were able to march out, with their heads held high. Five Medals of Honor were awarded for bravery, including to Whittlesey. Uncle Salutes the Armed Forces 154-157
ALVIN YORK – A dirt-poor farmer from Tennessee was the most decorated doughboy of WWI. Alvin York grew up in a two-room log cabin. He was one of eleven children. He grew up wild and loved to drink and party. His life changed after a friend was killed in a bar fight. The tragedy opened his eyes to where his life was headed and decided to change his trajectory. He joined a fundamentalist church, started reading the Bible, and became a good Christian. When the U.S. entered the war and he received a draft notice, he wrote “Don’t want to fight” on it because he took “Thou shalt not kill” literally. The Army did not care and rejected his claim to conscientious objector status. At boot camp, he was a model soldier and an extremely good shot on the rifle range (due to all the hunting and shooting matches when he was in growing up), but he steadfastly refused to shoot Germans. Through the guidance of his commanding officer, he was convinced to reinterpret the 6th Commandment to mean thou shalt not murder. So, if you were fighting for your country and your country had God on its side, it was okay to shoot Germans. He became the biggest hero of the war when he took out several German machine gun nests, killing over twenty Germans, and captured 132 others, by himself. He was awarded the Medal of Honor, among other medals. Gen. Pershing called him “the greatest civilian soldier of the war” and French Marshal Foch said his feat was the greatest single accomplishment of the war by any soldier. After the war, he returned to a donated house and farm and lived a simple life shunning the limelight. The limelight returned with the release of the movie “Sergeant York” in 1941. He used his profits from the movie to open a school. Uncle Salutes the Armed Forces 158-161
SERGEANT YORK’S FEAT – York’s unit had been given a suicide mission to make a frontal attack on a hill filled with German machine gun nests. York’s commanding officer felt it would be wiser to work their way behind the Germans. As they worked their way through the woods, they encountered some Germans preparing a meal by a fire. The doughboys quickly took them prisoner, but the Germans on the hill saw what was happening and yelled, in German, for their comrades to get down. The machine guns opened fire hitting several of the Americans and suddenly the Americans and their prisoners were pinned down. York was unwounded and decided to take action. He crawled to a nearby boulder and began to pick off the Germans on the hill. An excellent shot from his hunting days in Tennessee, he never missed a shot. Every time a German popped his head up to aim his machine gun, York shot him in the head. He had killed a bunch when a German officer ordered five of his men to come with him and charge down the hill to take down this one pesky American. They ran single file toward York with the officer leading. York thought back to his turkey-hunting days. If he hunted turkeys and found a flock walking in the forest, he had learned that if you shot the last one first and worked your way to the front, the others would not fly away and you could kill all of them. He used this tactic with the Germans, shooting the last first and working his way forward. Due to the noise of the battle, the Germans did not realize what was happening. He ran out of bullets with just the officer remaining, but almost on him. York pulled a pistol and shot him in the face. He went back to picking off Germans on the hill until they had had enough and surrendered. He gathered all the prisoners, shooting one who had a grenade hidden behind his back. He headed back to American lines and whenever they encountered more Germans, he put his pistol in the back of an English-speaking officer’s back and had him order them to surrender too. When he reached American lines, he had 132 prisoners. He had killed around twenty Germans. Lawrence 157
GREEN FIELDS OF FRANCE by Dropkick Murphys
“IN FLANDERS FIELDS” sung
ELTON JOHN’S “ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT” (some graphic images)
SERGEANT STUBBY – Stubby was a stray pit bull / terrier who was adopted by Private Conroy during training. He was smuggled onto the transport that took Conroy to France. He was taught to salute. He was exposed to poison gas and spent some time in the hospital. After this he would always warn of poison gas attacks. He once took shrapnel in his leg and chest. He was trained to go into no man’s land and respond to English to locate the wounded. Once he captured a German spy mapping the front line. Because of this he was promoted to Sergeant. He was treated as a war hero when he returned to America and went on war bonds tours. He met Presidents Wilson, Harding, and Coolidge. He received a Humane Society medal from Gen. Pershing.
“I LOVE MY COUNTRY” – Gen. Pershing was visiting a hospital. He approached the bed of a badly wounded soldier. He heard the soldier muttering to himself: “I love my country. I’d fight for my country. I’d starve and go thirsty for my country. I’d die for my country. But if ever this damned war is over, I’ll never love another country again.” Fuller 73-74
WHEN IS THE WAR GOING TO BE OVER? – Ferdinand Foch’s chauffer was constantly being asked by journalists and friends when the war was going to end. They figured he would have inside information. He told his friends that as soon as he heard something, he would tell them. The next time he was driving the general, Foch said to him: “Hey Pierre, when do you think the war will end?” Fuller415
THE LOST BATTALION – In 1918, the AEF was fighting in the dense Argonne Forest. The 77th Division was given the mission to push the Germans back. Major Charles Whittlesey commanded the 1st Battalion of the 308th Infantry Regiment. His unit had seen a lot of action and was exhausted, but they gamely participated in the offensive. He, and other unit commanders, were told that under no circumstances were they to give up any ground gained. The 670 men went over the top on Oct. 2 and managed to find a gap in the German lines that allowed them to push forward. Unfortunately, the units to the left and right were not so lucky and soon the 1st Battalion lost contact on both sides. The Germans cut off their line of retreat, which was not an option given Whittlesey’s orders, but it did mean they were cut off from supplies and reinforcements. Surrounded, the unit came under heavy fire from German artillery and machine guns. The doughboys dug fox holes and hunkered down waiting for help. Supplies soon ran low, as did ammunition. Bandages had to be reused when men died. A nearby stream could provide water, but German snipers would pick off anyone trying to fill canteens. The Germans launched attacks to try to wipe out the pesky Americans. Sometimes there was hand-to-hand fighting. Even the use of flamethrowers was not enough for the Germans to win. Newspaper reporters got wind of the story and began to call it the “Lost Battalion”. A big problem was the location of the unit was not clearly known back at headquarters. In fact, at one point, inaccurate coordinates resulted in friendly artillery bombing the unit. This was when “Cher Ami” was sent to stop the bombardment. Attempts to drop supplies by air were not successful with the supplies ending up in German hands. Finally, American forces broke through to rescue them. Only 191 of the survivors were able to march out, with their heads held high. Five Medals of Honor were awarded for bravery, including to Whittlesey. Uncle Salutes the Armed Forces 154-157
ALVIN YORK – A dirt-poor farmer from Tennessee was the most decorated doughboy of WWI. Alvin York grew up in a two-room log cabin. He was one of eleven children. He grew up wild and loved to drink and party. His life changed after a friend was killed in a bar fight. The tragedy opened his eyes to where his life was headed and decided to change his trajectory. He joined a fundamentalist church, started reading the Bible, and became a good Christian. When the U.S. entered the war and he received a draft notice, he wrote “Don’t want to fight” on it because he took “Thou shalt not kill” literally. The Army did not care and rejected his claim to conscientious objector status. At boot camp, he was a model soldier and an extremely good shot on the rifle range (due to all the hunting and shooting matches when he was growing up), but he steadfastly refused to shoot Germans. Through the guidance of his commanding officer, he was convinced to reinterpret the 6th Commandment to mean thou shalt not murder. So, if you were fighting for your country and your country had God on its side, it was okay to shoot Germans. He became the biggest hero of the war when he took out several German machine gun nests, killing over twenty Germans, and captured 132 others, by himself. He was awarded the Medal of Honor, among other medals. Gen. Pershing called him “the greatest civilian soldier of the war” and French Marshal Foch said his feat was the greatest single accomplishment of the war by any soldier. After the war, he returned to a donated house and farm and lived a simple life shunning the limelight. The limelight returned with the release of the movie “Sergeant York” in 1941. He used his profits from the movie to open a school. Uncle Salutes the Armed Forces 158-161
BACK WITH THE GENERALS
Major General Smedley Butler told this story. A doughboy fighting on the Western Front panicked because of the artillery fire and ran towards the rear. He ran into an officer. The officer yelled for him to halt and asked him what did he think he was doing. The soldier could not answer. Officer: “Don’t you know there is a big battle going on up front?” Soldier: “Y-y-y-es, sir.” Officer: “Do you know who I am?” Soldier: “N-n-no, sir.” Officer: “I’m your general.” Soldier: “Oh my God, did I get that far back?”
– Fuller 439
FACTS ABOUT THE TOMB OF THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER
- On Nov. 11, 1921, President Harding dedicated the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The sarcophagus was designed by architect Lorimer Rich and sculptor Thomas Hudson Jones. It was actually carved by the Piccirilli Brothers. They had earlier done the statue of Lincoln in the Lincoln Memorial. The three carved Greek figures represent peace, victory, and valor.
- The WWI representative was chosen from four bodies exhumed from four separate cemeteries in France. Sgt. Edward F. Younger (Distinguished Service Medal awardee) chose from the four caskets by placing some white roses on it. The casket was brought to the U.S. on the USS Olympia.
- After WWII, Medal of Honor recipient Hospitalman 1st Class William R. Charette chose from one body from the Pacific and one from Europe.
- The Vietnam War representative was tabbed in 1984 by Marine Sgt. Maj. Allan Jay Kellogg, Jr. The Medal of Honor hero chose the casket in 1984. However, in 1988 the casket was opened up for DNA testing and revealed to be Air Force 1st Lt. Michael Joseph Blassie. He was reburied by his family in St. Louis. Since there were no other unidentified corpses from Vietnam, there is no representative from that war. Because of advanced scientific methods, the military has had no unidentified personnel since Vietnam.
- The guards are volunteers from the 3rd Infantry Regiment, the “Old Guard”. This is the oldest active duty unit in the Army, having been created in 1784. You have to pass a rigorous test and go through intense training. Guards must memorize al 35 pages of the history of the tomb. They are under a strict moral code which still applies after their service is over. Guards get the Tomb Guard Badge which is the rarest in the Army and second only to the astronaut badge in the whole military. Only three women have earned the badge.
- Constant guarding began in 1937. Guards work 24 hour shifts and “walk the mat” for ½ hour from April 1-September 30. The shifts are one hour from October 1-March 31. When you are not on duty, you spend your time in the living quarters below the tomb. It takes up to eight hours to prepare the uniform which has the highest standards in all the military.
- The guard marches 21 steps (in honor of the 21-gun salute), stops, faces the tomb for exactly 21 seconds, and then repeats the process.
https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/71005/10-facts-about-tomb-unknown-soldier
https://www.cnn.com/2019/05/27/us/tomb-of-the-unknown-soldier-trnd/index.html
https://www.wearethemighty.com/military-life/facts-tomb-unknown-soldier/
THE CHRISTMAS TRUCE
By December, 1914, it was painfully obvious the Great War would not be over by Christmas. The war had been unimaginably bloodier than anyone could have predicted. Many of the soldiers were disillusioned at this point and pondered their fates as many of their comrades lay buried in the soil of the Western Front. Most of the chivalry associated with European warfare had evaporated. But there was still a little humanity left and Christmas time brought this out, temporarily. On Christmas Eve, some Germans put up Christmas trees on the parapets of their trenches. Then the sound of carols like “Silent Night” wafted across no man’s land to the British lines. The Brits responded with songs of their own, like “The First Noel”. Some brass bands serenaded both sides. These foes listened wistfully to each other’s music. From the Germans came calls of “Merry Christmas” with wary responses from the Tommies. The next morning dawned cold and quiet as the opponents forewent the usual early fusillades. Some daring Germans emerged, clearly unarmed, to walk into no man’s land. Proclaiming “Merry Christmas”, they urged the British to join them. It took a while, but soon brave Brits came out to greet fellow Christians with hand-shakes and well-wishes. The numbers increased once it was clear neither side had any nefarious motives. “Gifts” were exchanged. Rum for schnapps. Cigarettes for chocolate. Carols were sung. In a celebrated incident, some Scots produced a soccer ball and an impromptu match was played with some Germans. According to the recollection of one of the Germans, they won 3-2. He insisted that they won despite the distraction of the wind occasionally blowing up the Scot kilts to reveal they did not wear underwear! In a sobering sidelight, the truce was used for the recovery of dead comrades. No one thought this peaceful interlude was anything but temporary. They wished each other good luck as they returned to their trenches, knowing the killing would resume soon. The “Christmas Truce of 1914” was not repeated on the next three Christmases because the generals put a stop to that foolishness. After all, the Christmas spirit might diminish the warrior spirit. You can’t allow that!
https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-i/christmas-truce-of-1914
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-story-of-the-wwi-christmas-truce-11972213/
THE BLACK SWALLOW OF DEATH
Eugene Bullard was the grandson of a slave. He was the seventh child of a poor family in the American South. At age ten, he witnessed the near lynching of his father. Determined to escape racism, he stowed away on a cargo ship and ended up in Great Britain. He took up boxing at age 16 and was a lightweight champion by age 18. He was in France when WWI broke out and he joined the French Foreign Legion. He fought on the Western Front and was wounded three times, the last seriously at Verdun. When he recuperated, he joined the French Air Service and became the first black fighter pilot. He flew with his pet monkey Jimmy. His fighter plane had the slogan: “Tout sang que coule est rouge” (“All blood runs red”). He flew numerous missions and shot down two German planes, although his victories were not confirmed. After one successful dogfight, he landed with over 90 bullet holes in his plane. He was referred to as the “Black Swallow of Death”. He wanted to join the American Army Air Corps, but was turned down because he was black. He was awarded a bunch of French medals, including the Croix de Guerre. After the war, he played in a jazz band in Paris and eventually owned the night club. He was friends with Josephine Baker, Louis Armstrong, and Langston Hughes. Ernest Hemingway had a minor character based on him in his novel “The Sun Also Rises”. With WWII approaching, he joined French intelligence to offer his services spying on Germans who came to his club. When France was invaded, he fought and was wounded. He was able to escape back to America. When the eternal flame at the French Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was relit in 1954, Bullard was invited back to Paris to help in the ceremony. He left his job as an elevator operator in New York City to attend.
https://www.historynet.com/eugene-bullard-worlds-first-black-pilot.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugene_Bullard
The Greatest War Stories Never Told pp. 138-139
THE WOMAN WHO VOTED AGAINST BOTH WORLD WARS
Jeannette Rankin was the first woman elected to Congress. On April 2, 1917 she took her seat as a Republican from Montana. Four days later, she stood up for her principal of pacifism by voting against declaring war against Germany. She was one of 50 members of the House of Representatives who voted no. She was not reelected. She spent the next two decades as a lobbyist for workers’, women’s, and children’s rights and as a peace activist. She was elected to the House of Representatives again in 1940. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, she voted against FDR’s declaration of war. “As a woman I can’t go to war, and I refuse to send anyone else.” Her no vote was greeted by intense anger. She was called a “skunk”, “traitor”, and “Nazi”. After the vote, she had to take refuge in a phonebooth to avoid a hostile crowd in the Capitol building. She was the only member of Congress to vote against the war on Japan. She was not reelected, but had no regrets for standing up for what she believed in. In 1968, at age 87, she led a march in Washington to protest the Vietnam War.
https://history.house.gov/People/Listing/R/RANKIN,-Jeannette-(R000055)/
The Greatest War Stories Never Told pp. 140-141
THE SINKING OF THE LUSITANIA
If you believe the sinking of the Lusitania on May 7, 1915 caused the U.S. to enter WWI, you’d be wrong. But the sinking certainly contributed to the eventual declaration of war. The R.M.S. Lusitania had its maiden voyage in 1906. It was the Titanic of its time – a state of the art passenger ship. Construction had been subsidized by the British with the understanding that it might be used for military purposes in the future. When WWI broke out, it was secretly adapted to carry military supplies. On its last voyage, it was carrying tons of munitions. This made it a legit target for u-boats and the British knew this. When the war began, the German policy was to warn ships before sinking them, allowing passengers to get in lifeboats. But in February, 1915, realizing that the policy reduced the effectiveness of the stealth craft and put them at danger from armed merchantmen, the Germans abandoned the humane policy in favor of unrestricted submarine warfare. Now, any British ship in the war zone was subject to sinking with no warning. Aware of the reaction to this change, the German embassy issued a statement warning passengers on cruise ships that they were liable to be sunk. Few of the Lusitania passengers took the warning seriously. After all, at 22 knots, no sub could catch the Lusitania. No ship had been sunk at over 15. The ship was six days out from New York City on its run to Liverpool and was one day from port when it crossed the path of U-20. The u-boat had sunk some ships in the area and Capt. William Turner had been warned of a sub in the vicinity. He took no evasive action, but it probably would have made no difference since the contact was just by luck. U-boat Captain Walther Schwieger fired one torpedo which hit the ship in the middle, followed by a massive explosion. It is still unclear what caused the explosion, but the munitions have been ruled out by most experts. In 18 minutes, the ship sank. 1,195 passengers and crew died (but not Capt. Turner), including 128 Americans. 761 passengers survived. Schwieger was not a war criminal, but if he had had even a bit of political savvy, he would have let the fat target sail on by. The sinking was a huge propaganda gift for the British, who lied about the innocence of the ship. The propaganda convinced many Americans, including the bellicose Teddy Roosevelt, that the U.S. should enter the war. However, Pres. Woodrow Wilson refused to be railroaded. The Germans, realizing America was on the brink, stopped unrestricted submarine warfare for a couple of years. When it was renewed in 1917, Wilson declared war.
https://www.history.com/news/how-the-sinking-of-lusitania-changed-wwi
https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/533739/facts-about-rms-lusitania
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinking_of_the_RMS_Lusitania
THE FIRST USE OF POISON GAS
The French soldiers saw an ominous green cloud wafting toward their trenches. Soon they were choking and it felt like they were drowning. They were the victims of the first poison gas attack of WWI. The Germans had begun developing poison gas as soon as the war began. Famed chemist Fritz Haber was made a captain and put in charge of the Chemistry Section of the Ministry of War. It became known as the “disinfection unit”. Ironically, Haber won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry for developing the Haber-Bosch process for synthesizing ammonia from nitrogen and hydrogen. This led to fertilizers that increased crop production and saved millions of lives in developing countries. When asked how he could shift to developing a weapon to kill people, Haber insisted that “death was death” no matter the method. He had no problem violating the Hague Convention of 1907, which Germany had signed. The first gas developed was bromine. It irritated the eyes and nose. However, it’s use on the Eastern Front against the Russians was ineffective, partly because of the cold weather. Haber moved on to chlorine, which effects breathing. Haber personally supervised its use in the Second Battle of Ypres on April 22, 1915. The gas was in 5,700 cylinders that held 150 tons of chlorine. When the gas was released, it created a 50 foot-high greenish cloud that was four miles wide. The French and Algerian colonial troops panicked and the Germans could have had a major breakout, except the generals had not planned for it working, so aside from over 1,000 casualties, the Germans got nothing out of the attack. It would not be the last. Post script: Haber’s wife committed suicide after the war because of his involvement with poison gas. He was ostracized in the scientific community and he was exiled from Germany by the Nazis because he was a Jew.
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/germans-introduce-poison-gas
https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/how-gas-became-a-terror-weapon-in-the-first-world-war
https://www.britannica.com/video/187027/development-chemical-warfare-World-War-I
THE DEATH OF THE RED BARON
On April 20, 1918, the greatest ace of the Great War shot down his 79th and 80thenemy aircraft. One day later, he was dead. Manfred Von Richthofen was thirty-six at the time. The Red Baron was one of the most famous persons in the world. On April 21, he was engaged in a routine encounter with a novice Canadian pilot Lt. Wilfred May. Seeing his comrade in danger, Capt. Arthur Brown dove at the red Fokker triplane and opened fire. Brown pulled out before crashing into the ground and the Red Baron continued on May’s tail. He passed over an Australian infantry unit and soon after crash landed in a field near the Somme River. The Australians rushed to the site to find the German barely alive. Some claimed he said something including the word “kaput” before passing away. No autopsy was performed, but it was reported that he had a single bullet wound in his chest. At the time, Brown was credited with the shoot down and was awarded a bar to go with his Distinguished Flying Cross. However, modern scholarship has determined that the cause of death was probably a machine gun round fired by Sgt. Cedric Popkin. So it seems likely that the man who could not be defeated by any pilot, was brought down by a simple infantryman.
https://www.kumc.edu/wwi/biography/red-baron.html
THE FIRST KILL
The two aviators ran to their planes and took off, they landed heroes. The day was April 14, 1918. For Lt. Douglas Campbell, it was the culmination of a dream to serve his country in battle. Campbell, the son of famous astronomer William Campbell, had dropped out of Harvard with friend Quentin Roosevelt (the President’s youngest son) to join the Air Service after America declared war. He was assigned to the famed 94th Aero Squadron stationed in France. “The Hat in the Ring Squadron” would later produce the Ace of Aces Eddie Rickenbacker. But before Rickenbacker, there was Douglas Campbell. Campbell flew the first patrol of the squadron, along with Rickenbacker and Raoul Lufbery (who already had 15 victories flying with the Lafayette Escadrille). On April 14, Campbell and Winslow were on stand-by when a report came in of two German aircraft heading toward the air field. The pair scrambled and a dog fight ensued. The nimble Nieuport’s got the better of the Boche, even though at one point Campbell stalled and plunged to within 100 feet of the ground before recovering and downing his foe. Campbell became the first American-trained pilot to score a kill and on May 31 became the first American-trained ace when he downed his fifth German plane. Unfortunately, a later mission resulted in a serious shrapnel wound from anti-aircraft fire, putting him out of the war. He returned to America where the Distinguished Service Cross and Croix de Guerre recipient participated in bond tours.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_Campbell_(aviator)
https://www.airforcemag.com/PDF/MagazineArchive/Documents/1988/April%201988/0488victory.pdf
THE ANGEL OF MONS
In August, 1914 the British Expeditionary Force faced off against the rampaging German army in Belgium. Outnumbered and outflanked, the British made a stand at Mons on Aug. 23. The rapid-firing British riflemen slaughtered the Germans and they were aided by divine intervention. At one point, ghostly figures armed with bows and led by a tall figure on a horse led a British counterattack. Or three angels hovered over the lines as the British held off the Germans. The stories coalesced into the Angel(s) of Mons and gave inspiration to the British army and the British public. Both were in need of it because as valorous as the stand at Mons was, it still resulted in a retreat and the first month of the war was pretty bleak. The story took on a life of its own and was read into history by some. But was there any truth to it? It turns out the story actually originated a month after Mons. On Sept. 29, 1914 a writer named Arthur Machen published a short story in the London Evening News entitled “The Bowmen”. He told it in first person as an example of a “false document”. It told the story of a British soldier who saw St. George leading a phantom army of bowmen from Agincourt. Their arrows accounted for many of the slaughtered Germans. The newspaper ran it without specifying it was fiction. Soon after, it was published in a parish magazine and it was so popular it was republished and then turned into a pamphlet. The pamphleteer contacted Machen to find out his sources and was told firmly that the story was not true. The Father insisted it was! The story went “viral” and created “Angelmania” in 1915. Artists painted it and composers made music based on it. Machen worked to disprove it, but he was pilloried as unpatriotic and unchristian. Coincidentally, sources emerged that relied on second and third accounts. No proof was ever produced for the appearance of angels at Mons. But people insisted on believing the story and even some historians bought it.
http://www.worldwar1.com/heritage/angel.htm