My personal WWI hero.

[Heathen57]

At 11:00 this morning, 105 years ago, my grandfather was on the Front lines in France, 20 minutes from being sent into the front trenches when the firing stopped and word came down that the Armistice had been signed. Talk about a close call for a young miner and frontiersman from Kentucky.

My grandfather, (I bear his name proudly) was born in 1899 the youngest of 8 children. His father died from a lightening strike as a toddler and he spent his younger years hunting and fishing to feed the family. He went into the army because his ancestors had always fought for this country ever since they came over in the 1760's.

While he was lucky that he didn't get shot in the trenches, Mustard Gas drifted, and he was exposed. For the rest of his life, he would be in and out of Veteran's hospitals, from where he would constantly escape and head home to his wife and children.

When he received his discharge money in 1918, he used it to buy a Remington 'Targetmaster' .22 cal single-shot rifle. The entire family learned to shoot with it (including me). I still have it in a place of honor.

Remember those men who fought in the "War to end all wars" and truly thought it was such a horrible thing that it truly would end war. Many could barely read and write, but they were smart in ways we have lost.

[CBHagman]

1. Thank you for posting this.

And I honor your grandfather, as well as the others who served. Many never came home, but I remember when those who did used to march in the Memorial Day parades.

[femmocrat]

2. My grandfather was also a WWI veteran.

He died when I was 9. All I know about him is that he was gassed in the trenches. He came home from the war and raised 7 daughters and two sons. One of the sons was killed in WWII. They barely survived the Depression. I don't know if he was ever able to work after the war. I only remember him as being old and sickly.

We went to visit him in the VA hospital once. Those men went to hell and back. Bless them all.

[Rhiannon12866]

3. K&R! Beautiful tribute!

What a lovely remembrance of your grandfather. Both of my grandfathers served in WWI as well and I believe it was also in France. I have my paternal grandfather's discharge papers, said he was a very good horseman. And my maternal grandfather emigrated from Poland, they made him a citizen and sent him to fight in France. They both made it home, married and raised families, but unfortunately they both died well before I was born.

[Major Nikon]

4. My grandfather was in WWI

He was in the Signal Corps and was a pigeon handler of all things. He still had his bayonet which had a notch in it. We asked him for years and he never would talk about it. Finally when my brother and I got older he told us the story of how a German officer came over the trenches and he bayoneted him. He said it was the only man he knew of that he killed during the war. He sold the officer's helmet a few days later. He said he deeply regretted the thought of making money off another man's death for the rest of his life.

[SheilaT]

5. At the risk of being picky,

Last edited Tue Nov 13, 2012, 02:39 AM - Edit history (1)

this year is 2012. 105 years ago was 1907.

The Armistice was November 11, 1918. Haven't taken a math class in a while, but that's only 94 years ago.

[Heathen57]

6. Of course you are correct.

I was trying to do several things at once and didn't check my math. Thanks.

[sorcrow]

7. My grandfather, too

My grandfather was also a WW I veteran, born in 1899. When he went to enlist he was too scrawny. A dozen bananas later, he just made the minimum weight limit. He never made is out of the states. He guarded German prisoners in the states. They called him the baby corporal. He grew over 6 inches in 18 months on that good army food. I grew up reading his American legion magazines.

Crow