On the Eleventh Hour, of the Eleventh Day, in the Eleventh Month...
73The Great War
I'm making a special hub because today is Veteran's Day, once known as Armistice Day. When I was in the classroom I would start off by telling the students about the end of WWI.
"At the eleventh hour of the eleventh day in the eleventh month, the Great War ended. Soldiers went out of the trenches and stared at each other, wondering who or what or why and even how they could have come to this miserable state of being. How could one man hate another so much that he wanted to kill him? Artillery men for the first time went across the front to see the horrible effects of their shellings; bodies ripped apart, arms torn from torsoes, and much worse.
"Some were physically sick at what they saw; skeletons of long dead men whose flesh had been eaten by fat rats, the bones dirty and watersoaked in the trenches. War was no longer a "Patriotic Duty" or a fight for the mother land or fatherland. It had been reduced to just the dead and the alive. There was no other thing in the world at that moment, just the living and the dead, and the dead no longer felt the intense hatred that had started this war. So, the living reasoned, why should we.
"At that moment men wept and shook hands, embraced in peace, drank champagne or anything they could get, and knew they would soon go home with too many memories and too many doubts. A generation of soldiers had passed into a generation of mourners, men who could no longer see life as they had seen it when they entered the military forces.
"And now silence ruled where once shells exploded, men had shouted in hatred and anger, or had screamed in agony as they died. No airplanes flew over head, no bombs were dropped, and no men were dying after hearing the bullet thud into their chests or heads.
"Somehow, unexpectedly, everything came to halt, and men wept for joy, and also for sadness. The Great War had ended. It was time for The Great Peace."
Brief History of World War I
- World War I - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A brief history of WW I from Wikipedia - http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/58/1918Toront
PrintShare it! — Rate it: up down flag this hub
Comments
Very good hub for Veteran's day---Hey everyone, thank a vet!
I am glad I am an American...in a land that is free...and my prayers are always with our veterans in my mind...there are so many alive and still suffering from their time in duty...and it is very nice that you honor them here today...Thanks Chef Jeff... and Thank You one and all for all you have suffered and given of yourselves...God Bless America...G-Ma :o) hugs
quicksand, the end of WWI was especially welcome to that generation, many of whom later died by their own hand from the trauma of their experiences. there are many who say that millions of men died after Nov 11th, 1918 due to their wounds, both physical and mental. And of cource WWI because one of the reasons for WWII.
Froggy123, thanks and welcome to my hubs! I thanks every otrher vet I manage to come across, and yesterday had the unique pleasure of helping a WWII vet off the train. He smiled, recognized the vet in me and shook my hand. I felt privileged!
Cheers!
Chef Jeff
Thank you G-ma, and I thank all the vets and their families, and all those who helped build and maintain this wonderful nation, a beacon of hope to the world, some have called it.
Cheers!
Chef Jeff
The cost of war is endless. Do we ever learn? Evil will always be with us. Sometimes amongst us. I hope more sensible times are ahead, the world is waiting and I hear hope. =))
My respect goes out to all of those soldiers who died in the war and gave us the life that we have today.....jimmy
Thanks for this hub. I too felt compelled to write about this special day, and made my hub a tribute to the day. I was at a school today that honored veterans and taught the students the value of doing the same. Great Peace sometimes comes at a great cost.
Coffesnob, let me link your hub here and you can link mine to yours.
Jimmythejock, soldiers and sailors, airmen and marines all served, but so did many civilians, and we must never forget that families often suffered as well.
Mariesue, war makes no sense except to the leaders, who have never leaned any other way of dealing with their egos. No human being should ever make war on another human being, but alas, we do it all the time.
Hey Chef, it's nearly 11... I will say a prayer for all the soldiers who died for what they believed to be right, on both sides. I love that story about both sides singing Silent Night at Christmas time... here's one site among so many that record this extraordinary event:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2001/dec/24/christmas
Thanks for the timely Hub.
War is the saddest accomplishment of humanity. Sadder still is the fact that the "Great Peace" never came.
Now war has become the most profitable commodity in the capitalist warehouse and the profiteers seek to perpetuate it.
More death means more profit.
Will it never end?
Great hub, Chef Jeff. This really helps illustrate the futility of war and the tragedy of misguided hatred. Let's hope we arrive at The Great Peace before we destroy each other and the planet with all our useless bickering.
Happy belated Veteran's Day!
Nice Hub. Here in Australia it's easy to forget about Armistice Day, because they place all their emphasis on Anzac Day (I'm originally a Scot). My parents had me when they were in their forties so they were adults during the war - my father saw action and my mother was in the WAAF - so they brought me up to treat the 11th day of the 11th month with reverence, and I always feel something's missing when the day arrives. I was thrilled to track down a poppy this year - first time in nearly 20 years! - which made me feel more a part of it.
Jeff, I can't say much, I suppose the tears are enough. Thank you for remembering.
|
TOY LEAD or TIN mold molds LARGE WW ONE SOLDIERS LOOK!
Current Bid: $28.22
|
|
NEW German Artillery of World War One - Jager, Herbert
Current Bid: $28.69
|
|
MK II FEMALE WORLD WAR ONE ERA TANK RESIN MODEL KIT
Current Bid: $42.86
|
|
World War One Service Metal State of OR
Current Bid: $.99
|
|
1918 WORLD WAR ONE WWI printed note WINDSOR CASTLE TO
Current Bid: $14.99
|
|
Fokkers Of World War One
Current Bid: $4.02
|
|
World War I: The Great War
Price: $13.87
List Price: $79.95 |
|
World War One: A Short History
Price: $1.39
List Price: $25.00 |
|
The First World War - The Complete Series
Price: $19.59
List Price: $39.99 |
|
The Complete Illustrated History of World War One: A concise reference guide to the great war that shaped the 20th century, from the State of Europe in ... to the breaking of the Hindenburg Line
Price: $39.32
List Price: $35.00 |
|
The Complete Story: World War I
Price: $15.62
List Price: $34.98 |
|
A World Undone: The Story of the Great War, 1914 to 1918
Price: $12.14
List Price: $21.00 |
|
World War II Collection, Vol. 1 - Battlefront Europe (The Big Red One Two-Disc Special Edition / The Dirty Dozen / Battle of the Bulge / Battleground / Where Eagles Dare)
Price: $20.99
List Price: $59.98 |
|
Between the Sword and the Wall: a novel of World War I
Price: $12.95
List Price: $12.95 |
|
WWI War: The War to End All Wars
Price: $6.28
List Price: $14.98 |
quicksand says:
13 months ago
Interesting indeed. The end of a war is always a welcome thing.