| Grandpa collected a series of 350 or so | | | | -- how long does it take the meat on a |
| photos, reprints and postcards from | | | | head to rot and leave just a skull?' |
| World War I when he was an American | | | | In between the trenches was 'no man's |
| soldier. For some reason he wanted to | | | | land' or the area that no one |
| save all the pictures and they fill | | | | controlled. There are numerous photos of |
| almost two albums. | | | | no man's land and dead soldiers and |
| Maybe it was knowing that one day | | | | mostly destroyed countryside. Aerial |
| someone like me would look at the | | | | shots show it wasn't just no man's land |
| pictures and reflect on the true nature | | | | that was leveled, much of the |
| of war. Who knows. But whatever his | | | | surrounding countryside in a battle was |
| reasons I'm glad he saved them. The | | | | also destroyed. |
| effect of looking at the albums is | | | | It was standard military strategy to |
| sobering. | | | | bombard a trench for days to loosen it |
| Not much glory there in Grandpa's photo. | | | | up and demoralize the troops before |
| He looked like he could have been any | | | | charging. The intent was to destroy |
| young kid from any state. Or any country | | | | morale but it also destroyed most of the |
| for that matter. It was his soldier's | | | | surrounding landscape. Charging was |
| photo album and World War I was the | | | | often done by letting out a yell, |
| event of his life. It was like that for | | | | standing up and running straight for the |
| many that survived. | | | | enemy trenches, just like it had been |
| The war ended in 1918 and grandpa died | | | | done for centuries. |
| in 1960. Almost everyone that fought in | | | | Horses were used to pull wagons and |
| that great war is now dead. That much I | | | | artillery. There is a photo of U.S. |
| do know. | | | | troops headed to battle pulling their |
| The first album is full of soldier buddy | | | | artillery with horses. A lot of horses |
| shots and shots from towns and cities in | | | | also died. One photo shows a dead horse |
| Europe, mostly France. The pictures also | | | | that was blown up into a tree. |
| include numerous shots of the | | | | Supposedly WWI was the last war that |
| battlefields at Rheims and Belleau Wood, | | | | poison gas was allowed. Oddly enough the |
| two of the war's bloodiest battle sites. | | | | countries that used mega bombs and |
| The second album is almost entirely | | | | gargantuan artillery felt gas was too |
| battlefield scenes. | | | | deadly so it was outlawed by treaty. I'm |
| It was a war not fought in the air or | | | | not sure if technically it is more |
| sea but on land and in the trenches. | | | | humane to kill by bullet or by gas. As a |
| Funny how 'in the trenches' is still | | | | result only renegades like Saddam |
| with us today. World War I will be | | | | Hussein use poison gas. |
| remembered as the last trench warfare or | | | | The real problem was poison gas was |
| the last war where one could literally | | | | heavier than air so it would sink into |
| see the whites of the enemy's eyes, | | | | the trenches. If a gas canister filled |
| though maybe a couple of hundred yards | | | | your trench the best defense was to get |
| away. | | | | out and of course right into the line of |
| One side charged and would capture the | | | | fire from enemy snipers. That was part |
| other side's trench. The other side | | | | of the idea; your choice, whiff of gas |
| would make a hasty retreat and leave | | | | or a bullet through the head. |
| everything behind, including their dead | | | | Potent gases like chlorine gas and |
| and wounded. After a while they would | | | | mustard gas would either burn the lungs |
| counterattack.Day after day. Week after | | | | out or instantly destroy the central |
| week. Month after month. | | | | nervous system. One whiff and it was |
| The casualty rate was off the charts. | | | | over. |
| The battlefields were often littered | | | | After the war the world was mad so it |
| with the dead as they did not have time | | | | made Germany pay war reparations and the |
| to bury them. And it was not safe | | | | German economy collapsed. In the early |
| outside the trenches. | | | | 1920's inflation wiped out any hopes of |
| There is a photo of a soldier in a | | | | an economic recovery and the conditions |
| trench behind barbed wire. The barbed | | | | were set for Adolf Hitler and the Nazi |
| wire was supposed to help stop the other | | | | party to take their turn. And they did. |
| side from charging right into your | | | | I felt a bit queasy after viewing all |
| trench. He is barely visible behind the | | | | the photographed carnage especially |
| tangle of barbed wire. | | | | knowing this wasn't a Hollywood set. No |
| The constant attacks, the poison gas, | | | | Charlie Chaplin or Tom Mix in these |
| the bombardments; it all added up to a | | | | pictures. Just the boys next door, |
| trip to hell. Not much to smile about. | | | | ma'am. And the boys next door from |
| The face is not real clear behind the | | | | another country, too. |
| barbed wire but it's apparent he is not | | | | Of course WWI did not end all wars and |
| smiling. | | | | there have been a number of bad ones |
| The Germans looked so much like us. How | | | | since. Or rather it might be more |
| long does it take a corpse to become a | | | | correct to say that there have been no |
| bare skeleton? I imagine somewhere a | | | | good wars since. Maybe. |
| German is looking at a similar album and | | | | It all depends on our perspectives and |
| remarking how they 'look so much like us | | | | what we learned from Grandpa's war. |