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