Sunday, November 11, 2018

A Salute To The Doughboys

I'd be remiss if I didn't recognize the boys who gave their lives in The Great War, 'The War to End All Wars'. Today, November 11, 2018 is the the anniversary of the armistice ending that conflict.

My wife and I were in Kansas City over the week-end and visited the WWI Memorial. It's an outstanding exhibit and if you're ever in the area it would behoove you to see it all.

While we were walking around I ran into a fella from WWII. His name was Joe and he saw action on Okinawa toward the end of the second conflict. He got around like a college sprinter and told me he'd never taken a pill in his life. I believe him.

When I was teaching Advanced Placement in American History WWI was always one of my favorites. I never talked about battles. Mostly I mentioned the tremendous loss of life by a conflict brought on by alliances made of up cousins who were descendants of Queen Victoria of England. After the war most of these monarchs were thrown onto the trash heap of history.

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention my wife's dads brother, Donald Hills MacRae. He was killed in action in April of 1918.

If you have the time read the poem, In Flanders Fields. It explains a great deal about the futility of war.

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