MORE GIFTS: BLOODY BUCKET HELMET, AKA THE IRON DIVISION DOUGHBOY HELMET

16 September 2018

Erie, Pennsylvania

My great uncle, Archie Harvey, will never know how much he has touched my life, and others too. Last year I was giving a presentation at the Watson Curtze Mansion in Erie, Pennsylvania, for the Erie Society for Genealogical Research. My brother, sister in law, one of my sons, and my daughter in law were there, as I may have convinced them to attend—I thought it was important that they hear Archie’s story. They all said they were glad that they had attended and now knew what my work was about. A few weeks later our Jamestown son came to my presentation at the Corry Area Historical Society. A couple of cousins were there too. I know that I am fortunate that so many family members have an interest in our Uncle Archie.

Roy Ward Hall, 28^th Division, 112^th Infantry Regiment, Co. A.

After the presentation at the Watson Curtze Mansion, my brother said he had something for me. The heavy object, wrapped in camouflage fabric, revealed a Doughboy helmet with a red Keystone stenciled on it. My Uncle Roy Hall’s helmet from World War I—28^th Division, 112^th Infantry Regiment, Company A, the Keystone Division, the Iron Division, the Bloody Bucket Division. I was overwhelmed by this heartfelt precious gift from my brother.

Since the Keystone was used on the 28^th Division’s patch and helmet, one readily understands why it was called the Keystone Division. Pennsylvanians learn in grade school how Pennsylvania was the “Keystone State” from the early time of the development of the Thirteen Colonies. General Pershing called the division the Iron Division, and after reading With the 112^th in France, A Doughboys Story of the War, written by James A. Murrin in 1919, right after the war, I have no doubt why he chose that name. The Germans called the division the Bloody Bucket.

During World War I, the 28^th Division was part of the Champagne-Marne, Aisne-Marne (Fisme-Fismette), Oise Aisne, and the Meuse Argonne operations. During the war, this division had a total of over 14,000 casualties, including 2,165 killed. Those figures only tell a part of their story.

When Secretary of State Lansing saw the 28^th Division in March 1918, he stated, “I must congratulate the state of Pennsylvania upon the sturdy type of men who compose this division. No finer specimens of manhood can be found in the armies of the republic than the thousands which passed in review today. To see them was an inspiration and impressed the deep conviction that with such defenders the cause of liberty is safe.” [With the 112^th in France, Murrin, p. 41]

 At the Aisne-Marne/Bois de Trugny engagement, a soldier in the 112th Regiment, wrote, “We’ve been to hell and back since I last wrote—to where men kill and slay and die, and perish under a withering fire; where there is nothing of hope…” [With the 112^th in France, Murrin, letter by unknown writer quoted, July 1918, p.151].

At Fismes/Fismette, the 112^th was “outnumbered at least five to one by the force of Germans.” The men of Companies G and H put up a brave fight. [With the 112^th in France, Murrin, August 1918, p. 205]. Friend Ann Silverthorn’s great uncle was killed in this battle, and Friend Sandra’s great uncle was killed in the Argonne Forest.

As Murrin says after the Armistice on November 11^th, “…what a great relief to know that the day has passed when machine guns and shrapnel can maim and slay your own comrades; to know that those of us who have played the game hard and lived, lived only by the grace of God—may look forward to seeing old New York harbor, some day not far distant [Murrin, p. 344].

Erie, Corry, Meadville, Bear Lake, Oil City, and more--the soldiers of the 112th.

Uncle Roy Ward Hall, my mother’s only brother, did return to America and lived a full life as a businessman in Lottsville, Pennsylvania and Dunkirk, New York. As I have mentioned before, he lived with shrapnel wounds in his hip the rest of his life after the war.

Roy Ward Hall's doughboy helmet, World War I

Archie Harvey’s Dictionary

Recently my brother gave me another gift—somehow, he discovered Archie’s well worn, leather bound dictionary, The New Webster Dictionary and Complete Vest Pocket Library, published in 1914.  Archie’s letters are well written and it made sense that he owned one.  His name is neatly written on the inside cover, dated June 24^th, 1917. Guernsey, Iowa.

On the back cover of the dictionary, Archie wrote the word, "Zimbalon." Why? What is that? A complex zither, played especially in Hungary, according to Dictionary.com. Why did Archie write that word in this dictionary?

This date, June 24, 1917, is during the time that Archie was working as a farmhand in Iowa, and after he tried to enlist.  Since Archie’s birthday was in May, I do not think it was a birthday gift. Something I want to research is writing while at war. At one point Archie laments to his mother that it isn’t easy to write without a desk, probably after a request to write more often. I have often thought about how neatly Archie writes, with pen and ink. Most letters from France during the war were written in pencil.

Archie Harvey's well-worn dictionary,  The New Webster Dictionary and Complete Vest Pocket Library

Archie's handwriting--

GIFTS: FRENCH POST CARD AND A MILITARY BUTTON POLISHING KIT

Erie, Pennsylvania

30 August 2018

I am so blessed by the gifts described here.

We have always recognized the poppy (Papaver rhoeas) as a symbol of remembrance and when I was trying to research the daisy and the cornflower, I only found that the French use the blue cornflower as a symbol of remembrance, as well as the poppy. At some point I read that the daisy symbolized America, the poppy symbolized the British, and the cornflower symbolized French, remembrance. I cannot find that reference today. As an aside, Papaver rhoeas is not the opium poppy, but a hardy species that easily grows in Europe.

One of our tour mates admired an enameled pin that I wore every day, a poppy, a daisy, and a cornflower--I have worn it almost daily since the Pennsylvania State DAR Regent was offering them to raise money for the NSDAR Partnership with the World War One Centennial Commemoration Commission in April.

While on our AEF World War I tour, that tour mate, Gary and “Team” had a chance to visit an antique shop in Verdun where they found a postcard, presumably World War I era, with the same three flowers on it. When I saw this card, I was astounded. It was so beautiful, and the flowers depicted in ribbon fabric were stunning and vivid.  On the last night of the tour, Gary, Jose, and Tracy gave me the postcard. This is such a special, unexpected gift and I am grateful they chose to give it to me.

Left, enameled pin. 

Right, the special post card-"A Bouquet of France

What we can best wish for France, is peace, Victory, the return of happiness."

My humble translation

The post card is addressed to a "Mademoiselle" of Vaux sur Blaises, a village about 60 miles south of Verdun. I can read her name, but will leave that out for now.

The message on the back thanks her for her card. The signed name is illegible. 

In July I spoke at a Senior Citizen Center about my great uncle Archie and his story. The presentation was well-received, and I was pleased to do this for my friend Pat, who also belongs to the French Creek Valley Button Club with me. A few days later, she gave me a small tin box, with the words, “Military Button Polishing Kit, Complete with Polish, Brush, Cloth, Board.” What a surprise this little box was. Pat felt that it was from the era of the Great War. When I looked on the Internet, I found such a tin box pictured on the Pritzker Military Museum and Library website as part of their World War I collection.

https://www.pritzkermilitary.org/explore/museum/permanent-current-upcoming-exhibits/lest-we-forget-doughboys-sammies-and-sailors-great-war/military-button-polishing-kit/

Another surprise gift.

The little box is about 4.5 in x 1.5 in. x 2.5 in.

From the Prtizker Website:

“Military Button Polishing Kit

“There is also a small hard-bristled brush made of wood, a polishing cloth, and a black plastic guard that would be inserted behind and around the button in order to protect the uniform.”

ODDS AND ENDS AFTER OUR AEF WORLD WAR I CENTENNIAL TOUR IN FRANCE AND BELGIUM

Erie, Pennsylvania

Sunday, 26 August 2018

This entry will sum up some things about our wonderful August 2018 trip to France and Belgium, although I reserve the right to add!

Most importantly, we wanted to honor our World War I family members, all World War I service members, as well as service members and veterans of our America, those men and women who have served our country valiantly, whether in combat, supporting our troops in combat, or to protect our country’s liberty and freedom.

Another goal was to actually visit sites where my family members were—Uncle Roy Hall of the 28^th Division at Fismes, Cousin Lynn C. Price of the 80^th in the Meuse Argonne, and Archie Harvey of the 90^th Division near the Meuse / Bois de Chenois in the last few days of combat.

Since I hope to write about my great uncle, Archie Harvey, I wanted to know more about his experience. I am truly indebted to Mike Hanlon, Valor Tours, and our tour mates who shared their own family stories, further enriching the experience.

It became very important to us to honor other veterans who we have learned about in the last few years, including William Hendershott and Arthur Manness, the Silverthorn brothers, and Frank Arnold.

Other insights, not in any particular order

The tour was intense—from bus boarding at 7:30 or 8 a.m. to returning to the hotel between 6 and 7 p.m., we took advantage of every minute.

Mike Hanlon

Mike is truly a treasure and I hope that World War I readers visit his fabulous website, http://worldwar1.com/

Even though he is retiring as a tour guide, he will continue to share his vast knowledge of World War I through this website.

Valor Tours

This was our second tour with Valor Tours-some of our tour mates had experienced over 40 Valor Tours. The company is described as America’s oldest and most experienced military tour operator. We would use Valor Tours again, and I highly recommend them. https://www.valortours.com/

Clothing

I am glad that I packed light. We were not attending a fashion show and no one had any expectations about how we looked (as far as I know).

Tim admired two brothers on the tour who have traveled extensively on history tours with only a back pack—they said they washed their clothes on the trip.

Shoes

For long distance walking I wear only open toed shoes. My Ecco sandals (with backstrap—no flip flops) served me well in 2015. Since I knew I could walk miles in this particular pair, I had them resoled at my favorite shoe repair shop in Erie. I did not care about mud and rain with these shoes, and we walked miles and miles every day. I know that because I wore my Fitbit every day.

Cell Phone

Having our cell phone service ported to France for a reasonable rate was very valuable. This is the first time that we were able to do that. Having Trip Advisor, Google, maps, and email access was important. Despite being a little older, we value the tools of technology.

Laptop

I was glad that I had my Dell 13 inch laptop with me—I knew that I wanted to write and so I invested in this laptop in May so that I could get it attuned to me by August. Again, I like my technology tools. Doing the blog this year was an ambitious endeavor, either because I am older or because I was more thoughtful. Toward the end of the tour it was almost overwhelming, and I knew I needed to stay in the moment. I hope that readers realized that I would go back and improve some of the blogs.

DSLR camera

There was no way that I would take a trip like this without my good camera. I used the cell phone as a backup, but I wanted high quality photos. Alas, I need a different photographer for that—holding the camera straight is an example of just one of my short comings. I do love this camera (Canon Rebel T7i) but I still need some work. I wish I had taken more video—I feared running out of SD cards, but I barely scratched the surface (64 gig SD card) even with taking hundreds of photos each day. 

Tim took great photos with his cell phone, too.

Currency/ATM/Charge Cards

I did take 100 euros with me, but easy access to ATMs with my bank ATM card for cash was important. Fortunately, the ATM prompts are relatively easy to navigate. There is an English option. I will always have at least some money native to the country we are traveling in just in case I have an emergency need. Tim prefers to use the ATM for all of his cash.

We did use charge cards efficiently too and the ones we have do not charge a surcharge on foreign transactions.  Be sure to notify all charge card companies and banks of travel plans—no matter what they might say.

Food

I like basic food and sometimes that is difficult. I lost 3.5 pounds on this trip, probably a combination of food availability and all the walking. When I lived in France, I followed the rule that if a dish was offered, I had to eat it. Now I cannot do that. Fortunately, Tim can eat most anything, so he was OK.

Remember to travel with an open mind

Since I lived in France for a year (although that was fifty years ago), I can easily adapt to French culture—I truly hope that travelers can keep an open mind about different cultures in different countries. I love the language, the art, the history. The French (and Belgians) were very friendly and helpful everywhere we went. Even though we were in some small villages, we were accepted warmly. I think about that French painter in a very small village who jumped in his truck to go get the mayor who then drove up in a road grader. Think about that! And we were in the wrong village!

Hydration

Knowing that bathrooms were going to be few and far between so to speak, I did not want to drink as much water or soda as I should have. I do not know how to solve this problem.   Since I need to take a water pill daily, I chose to take it at night, but swollen legs during the day was the result. I probably should not make a habit of that. Tim really drinks a lot of water, but he cut back too. Soda is sold only in bottles, no fountain drinks. A few times we paid 5 euros/per bottle of Coke Zero. Bottled water was usually one euro. At the grocery store bottled water was .18 euro, about 20 cents.  That leads me to….

Ice

You can get ice in the restaurants, but hotels do not have ice machines or refrigerators in the hotel room. In two hotels we asked for ice at the bar for our room and they did accommodate us.

What I forgot to pack

Alarm clock—every hotel had a wake up call system, but Tim remembered his, so that was not a problem

Wash cloths—for some reason French and Belgium hotels do not provide wash cloths. Some day I will do research on how they wash their faces. Of course, Tim remembered to bring some. I bought some micro fiber cloths and used them. They dried quickly so that was a plus.

What I lost

I took my favorite everyday sunglasses, but never wore them—there was too much I wanted to see clearly! But, I took the glasses case out of my suitcase one night and the black case blended in with the carpet and they stayed in Verdun. This was not a loss that I mourned because they were about 5 years old and a little scratched. I can replace them.

Weather

We were really lucky with the weather—it only rained one day, and then not for the whole day. Some days were especially hot, but the humidity was much lower than in Erie and certainly the southern U.S. states, so it was tolerable.

Coffee

Again, being flexible is a necessity. I drink coffee black, and coffee is VERY strong in France, even so called “American Coffee.” Tim started ordering a sort of latte.

Some hotels have coffee machines that are challenging to use. That is a learning curve, but if you really need coffee, you do figure it out!

WestJet Airlines

I hope we can always afford the upgraded seats with the middle seat made into a table configuration. We had a lot more room, no one in the middle, and we were constantly given food and snacks and beverages. If we drank alcohol, that would have been included too. Toronto is only a 3.5 hour drive from Erie and even though we were on a 737, we had a comfortable flight.

Tim

Tim is a great traveling companion because he pays attention to the things that I do not, like where the exits are in a hotel or restaurant in case of fire. Plus, he notices things I don’t and points them out to me. World War I is not exactly his specialty, but he is engaged and listens and observes and even asks questions. He is a U.S. Navy veteran who sailed the Mediterranean in a heavy cruiser in the late 60s, early 70s, so he also knows the culture is different and he can adapt.

I know everyone loves his “takes” and observations, but he was asleep by the time I was writing this year. He did what he could.

A HERO IN JAMESTOWN, NEW YORK. RUSSELL ARCHIE HARVEY

Thursday, 23 August 2018

Erie, Pennsylvania

On this sunny, pleasant day,  I was with my younger granddaughter, B2. Since I had been thinking about this after our World War I tour, I decided to stop at Lakeview Gardens Flower Shop to see if they could make up a red, white, and blue floral spray for the grave of Russell Archie Harvey, who is buried in Lake View Cemetery, Jamestown, New York.

We visited Archie today. He is not forgotten.

When I return to Jamestown next week, I will take my gravestone cleaning kit. B2 (11 years old) wants to help!

Update: I did return with B2 the following week, but cleaning the gravestone will be a process. I am going to stop each time I go to Jamestown and work on it.

ALONG THE SACRED ROAD, FINDING OUR WAY TO PARIS

Thursday, 16 August 2018

Golden Tulip Hotel

Paris, France (Roissy)

80ish F, sunny

Our bags were packed an we left Verdun for the trip back to Paris/Roissy and the Golden Tulip, our last day of the tour. Our bus traveled along the "Voie Sacre," the Sacred Road and our first stop was the Verdun fortress, Douaumont. 

Voie Sacre

Before America entered the war, this fort was taken by the Germans in 1916--the Battle of Verdun lasted 303 days and resulted in 700,000 casualties, with 200,000 lives lost. The Germans never reached the walled city of Verdun. Tour mates Frank and Carol's grandfather had his photo taken by the gate in 1918, and they wanted a photo there, too.

Gate at Fort Douaumont

As we rode along, another tour mate, Dan H, spoke of his grandfather who fought in World War I for the Irish/British army at Sommes and Lille, part of the Royal Irish Fusilliers. He spent ten weeks in the trenches, was hit by shrapnel, leg wounded, and gassed. After his long recovery, he entered the Royal Flying Corps and was sent to Egypt as an aircraft handler. Dan mentioned that British military records have been accidentally destroyed by fire, just as American military records. However, the British are making a great effort to restore those records.

Our last tour mate to speak, Andy, a veteran, spoke very wisely about war. He said when there is a loss, on a squad or platoon level, you know the story, the family of that man. He said one asks, "Could we do anything differently? What could we have done?", when one loses a squad or company member. As he spoke, I could tell that he had experienced the horror of war.

We stopped at Souilly to see General Pershing's headquarters during the Meuse Argonne Offensive. Pershing would not have been able to see the battle, but he could hear it. Soldiers marched by on their way to the front.

Site of General Pershing's Headquarters, Meuse Argonne Offensive

Souilly, France

Headquarters on 2nd floor

Pershing's desk at his headquarters in Souilly, near Verdun, during the Meuse Argonne Offensive

Rosier Polyanthana

A rose created following the Great War in honor of the French Soldiers (Poilus)

Our next stop was to speak with a mayor in a small village. He was  not in his office, but a pleasant painter looked out the window of the second floor and told us he would go get the mayor. Soon the mayor arrived, driving a road grader. We soon discovered we were in the wrong town, wrong mayor. The stop was worth seeing the painter's mustache-incroyable! 

Incroyable!

At the correct town, Remicourt, we went into the mayor's office and saw artwork of a  World War I airplane. Remicourt was the site of the American 50th Aero Squadron Operations during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive.

Our final stop before our hotel in Roissy was La Musee de la Grande Guerre in Meaux, France,  a very  special museum. Life sized soldiers in uniforms of French, British, American, German, horses, artillery, planes, tanks, unknown soldier  grave markers for France, Britain, Germany, and the United States. Posters, films, life size vignettes, trenches, a camp set up.

French Colonial Forces

Taxi Renault/1909

The story is told that Parisian taxis took many troops to the front in the beginning of the war

Alsatians and Lorraines are French!

The Great War left its mark on bodies, souls, and  minds alike...

But the most moving part was the film Terre Rouge--shown in a  room about 6 x 10 feet, mirrored, with stark images before me. The sounds and sights of war, of battles, rifles, explosions, shell barrage, bounced off the walls. Images of flashbacks-soldiers remembering home, mothers, sweethearts, then fallen soldiers, others digging graves, burials,finally thousands of faces fading. The End.

This short film summed up the absolute horror of war.

My great uncle, Archie Harvey, was 29 years old when he was drafted, at 30 when he went to France, and 34 years old when he died. A humble man, a farmer at heart, a man who dried a fern and brought it home from war, a man who saw the worst of human conflict, yet wrote loving letters home, "...where I do want to be."

_________________________
After our farewell dinner, I reflected that we had shared a great deal on this trip with our tour mates and learned even more. So many shared stories of family members who lived the Great War. Everyone wanted to remember and honor those who served. There is no doubt this trip was intense, but it took me closer to Archie's experience.

TK's Takes:
And on a more humorous note, Tim finds other things to do while I am studying, observing, note taking, and capturing images. I wonder who took this photo. So, Tim as a "poilu," a French soldier. Go figure.

BRAVE SOLDIER, MY UNCLE NEAR BAALON, FRANCE/MEUSE ARGONNE OFFENSIVE/OSSUARY AT DOUAUMONT

Wednesday, 15 August 2018

Les Jardins du Mess

Verdun, France

72 F, sunny

We have two more days of our American Expeditionary World War I Centennial Tour and today was most special for me as we covered the area of the final days of the war before the Armistice / Meuse Argonne Offensive, Phase III.

The rolling hills carried us along in the direction of the divisions as they marched toward the Meuse River.  

The Meuse River looks so peaceful here

We stopped at the Meuse Argonne American Cemetery as one of our tour mates, Jim C, was honoring his grandfather. James Campbell (29^th Division) survived the war and went home to a job as a trolley driver, but the effects of mustard gas followed him, and he died at 37 years old. A daughter died of leukemia and now it is known leukemia was found in the children of victims of mustard gas.  The use of mustard gas was prevalent in the area of the Meuse.

Honoring John Campbell, 29th Division. 

Jim was honoring this man who was in the same division as his grandfather and same last name.

While traveling along, tour mate Bill spoke about the American Battlefield Trust where he is on the Board of Trustees. The Trust purchases land to preserve it where battles were fought during the Civil War. Now they have expanded their mission to include Revolutionary War and War of 1812 sites. So far, the Trust has saved 50,000 acres of battle fields in 22 states, the size of three Manhattans. We will be checking this out- https://www.battlefields.org/

The bus passed through an area where the 80^th Division (Lynn Price) had its toughest fight of the war, near Buzancy.  

Mike also mentioned that this area has seen battles in 1870, 1918, and 1940. Most every French home has metal shutters on the outside of all the windows. The fenced in, walled in stone houses and metal window shutters are a means of survival, a way for the French to close themselves off, to shield their homes, from any future military attacks. When I lived in southern France in the 1960s, every apartment, and the few individual homes in the city had these same metal shutters. The ladies I lived with closed the shutters faithfully every single night-they had lived the Second World War and the French/Algerian War.

Near an overlook on the valuable city (industry, transportation hub) of Sedan, France, very near the German border, we visited a massive German cemetery. The Meuse Heights. The 1^st and 42^nd Divisions were at this point.

German Cemetery near Sedan overlook

We were scheduled for a champagne lunch at Chateau Fort de Sedan, a medieval castle, one of the largest in Europe. Plates of pate, fresh bread, and more in a dining room with great stone walls, but my mind was on where we were headed next. I have waited for many years to walk where my Great Uncle Archie walked, marched, braved the barrage of artillery, the horror of war, the mud, the cold.

AEF World War I Tour companions

AEF World War I Tour companions with Tim

Today, I saw the terrain, the hill, I saw the days of November 9-10, 1918, and Archie was with me. As the bus rolled along, I read the letters of Archie's officers, as they described the last hours of the war. These officers were asking for a report from my Uncle Archie about a certain incident.  While our bus traveled this area, I read the letters from officers to Archie asking him to confirm that incident. I also have two other documented sources that describe this incident, in The 357^th Infantry Regiment, Its History From Organization until Part of the Army of Occupation, 1917-1919, and in the book, The 90^th Division in World War I written by Lonnie White.

Archie’s captain was severely wounded, thought fatally, on November 10, 1918, during an assault wave. Archie and another man carried him to safety.

The Captain wrote to Archie, “To Russell Harvey who with William Wild carried me to 1^st Aid Station, Baalon, France on Nov 10 1918 at the risk of his own life and through a shell swept area and machine gun hail.” My uncle was a very brave and humble man. He never mentioned this in his letters home.  Is this what Archie was thinking?

Sharp rifle cracks, smoke, mud… confusion… following orders…captain badly wounded… get the stretcher… must get to him…dodge the artillery…eyes burning…deafening noise…war almost over…most of my company dead…shouting…swirling… running for my life….the body is heavy…where can we go that is safe?

Road signs we were passing indicated Baalon, Mouzay, Stenay, Montmedy—towns I have read about for years. Mike asked the bus to stop at Bois de Chenois, the main defensive line of the Germans, here along the Meuse River. I was here, where Archie was. I was actually here.

Signs while we pass through Stenay. Because I was speaking, I got to sit in the front seat.

The Bois de Chenois is in the background

Great Uncle Russell Archie Harvey was here, November 9-10, 1918

Area of the action of R. Archie Harvey was involved in on November 10, 1918

The Ossuary at Douaumont

This site was one of our most emotional stops in 2015 and this year was no different. The ossuary is a memorial containing the remains of both French and German soldiers who died on the Verdun battlefield in 1916. Through small outside windows, the skeletal remains of at least 130,000 unidentified combatants of both nations can be seen filling up alcoves at the lower edge of the building. On the inside of the ossuary building, the ceiling and walls are partly covered by plaques bearing names of French soldiers who died during the Battle of Verdun which lasted over 300 days.

Ossuary at Douaumont

From my entry in 2015:

The tower is shaped like an artillery shell but is cathedral-like with Christian images. When we stepped inside the building, the silence was remarkable. It was cool inside on a hot day. Thousands of names are engraved on the walls. Inside the chapel the stained glass windows depicted stunning images of battlefields with crosses. One window depicts two angels holding a nurse (red cross on her veil) who was wounded in the war when a hospital was bombarded. Another image is of Christ cradling a soldier. The Crucifix at the Altar is Mary holding Christ upright, both have arms outstretched to form a cross, an image I have never seen.

We walked along the exterior of the memorial and did not realize that the skeletal remains of at least 130,000 unidentified combatants of both nations could be seen through small outside windows at the lower edge of the building. The largest single French military cemetery of the First World War with 16,142 graves is nearby.

We were able to see a film in English and I tried to write in the dark as we viewed it--the film was so very expressive. These are the words that I captured: 

"Mud, gas, shells, death comes. 

It is our duty to survive and hold on. 

Burnt tree stumps, wire, blood, powder, gas, corpses, shells rain down. 

Death mixes with life. The bourgeois and the worker, the chaplain and the free thinker. 

Images, not words tell the stories. 

Nine villages gone, others ravaged. 

Whispers, carnage, man destroyed by machines.

Look! Look at us! 

We are 20, we are 30, we represented France. 

We represented Germany. 

We represented life."

This memorial, L'Ossuaire de Douaumont, truly expresses the carnage of war. An emotional day.

To leave no doubt about remembrance, a poppy popped up!

Tim and I had dinner by ourselves tonight at La Cloche d'Or, where we enjoyed our anniversary dinner in 2015. Quiche Lorraine in Lorraine was a must AGAIN, salad, lasagna (me), tagliatelle Italian (Tim), strawberry ice cream and tarte rhubarb. Superbe.