STILL ON THE TOUR IN MY DREAMS

It has been a week since we finished our World War I tour in France and I am still on the tour in my dreams every night since. That has never happened before.

Today I reworked the blog of Friday, August 21, 2015, because I wanted to tell the story of the Ossuary of Douaumont.  In reflection, the visit to the Ossuary was probably one of the most compelling.

RECURRING DREAMS, MORE UPDATES

Today I updated our Saturday tour (August 22, 2015) with photos and more  information. Every night since our return I am still dreaming that we are on our bus touring the French countryside and battle sites. I know the dreams are occurring because this trip made such an impact on me.

I am so grateful that Tim went with me. We shared so much on this trip. I miss our tour mates very much, too. On Wednesday when we had lunch with my brother Bill and Marge, I appreciated their interest in the trip. I look forward to seeing the book that my brother has about the 28th Division.

Today I reviewed the Second Battle of the Marne, the St. Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne Engagements--now I understand so much more about these areas.

UPDATE AND NEW DISCOVERY

Erie, Pennsylvania
August 26, 2015

We arrived home safely at about 5 p.m. DST on Monday. The ease of going to the CDG airport by taxi and our flight were probably the best experience flying we ever had! We had been up 21 hours before we finally went to bed.

Today, Wednesday I think we are just about back to normal and I have begun reviewing my notes and photos and organizing everything. We had an extraordinary trip. I loved being back in France, our new tour friends, our tour guide Mike Hanlon, all that we learned, and Tim's engagement in the whole experience.

Also today I discovered that my Uncle Roy, my mother's only brother, was in the 28th Division. I knew he was in the 112th Infantry out of Cambridge Springs, Pennsylvania, but I did not know he was in the 28th. If only I had done that research before I left. Mike could have given me more information about where his division/regiment was. I am upset at myself for this. On the bright side, I know that we were in Chateau Thierry, as was Uncle Roy. My brother found a book that focused on Uncle Roy's Regiment and Division.

Roy Hall back from World War I, 

holding his new sister--my mother, born 10 Apr 1919. 

Bear Lake, Pennsylvania

I have updated Sunday, August 23, because there was so much to say. I plan to update Saturday, August 22, 2015 tomorrow.  Now that I am home at my desktop I can more easily add photos and text. I am grateful though for my Gateway 10.1 inch Touch laptop. It was so much easier to carry and certainly served its purpose.

THE SECOND BATTLE OF THE MARNE/FAREWELL DINNER

The Golden Tulip
Roissy/Villepinte, France
August 23, 2015

The nine day pace was quite rigorous! As we left Reims today Mike reminded us that  this city was 80% leveled and the Cathedral was an easy target. We headed for the areas of the 2nd Battle of the Marne.

Some of the emphasis today was the Second Battle of the Marne. Our first stop was an area where Theodore Roosevelt's son, Quentin, was honored. Quentin Roosevelt was in the U.S. Army Air Service where he became a pursuit pilot during World War I. Considered the most famous American to die in the war, he was killed in aerial combat  July 14, 1918, and buried near Chamery. The crash site was in the distance.  Another of Roosevelt’s sons, Ted Jr., would later be the oldest American soldier and highest ranking officer to land by sea in Normandy (Utah Beach) on D-Day June 6, 1944. He died of a heart attack five weeks into the invasion.  The two brothers are now buried side by side at the Normandy American Cemetery above Omaha Beach.

At 9 a.m. we pulled into the Oise-Aisne American Military  Cemetery which is located in Seringes-et-Nesles. It was created on the spot where the 42nd American Division, “Rainbow Division” fought. Among the 6,012 graves is that of the poet Joyce Kilmer, a sergeant in the 165th Regiment (42nd Division), who was killed on July 3. 1918. Seven pairs of brothers were buried here.

Joyce Kilmer's grave at Oise-Marne

We headed to the Hill 134 site and walked to the crest of a ridge where Kathy's great uncle, 42nd Division, was wounded in a gas attack near the Ourcq River. Her great uncle and others were taken to a hospital that was soon shelled by the Germans. He experienced shrapnel to the knee and his leg was amputated. Kathy read from a letter that he wrote home, "Don't worry."  Then she read the letter from the Red Cross to the family explaining that he had died, that everyone loved him, and that he was buried with full military honors. This was an incredibly moving time, to be with Kathy and hear her read the letters right on the site of the conflict.

Kathy at the crest of the hill

We spent some moments at the very poignant 

42nd Division Memorial at the Croix Rouge Farm. 

Again we were listening to Kathy speak of her grandfather, William, who was in the 3rd Division, 4th Infantry, Co. L. We were on the hill where his unit was pushing up. The Marne River was to our back. William was career Army and had joined in 1912 at the age of 17. ON July 24 he was gassed and had a concussion. He was transferred to a hospital and never returned to the Front. Because he spoke German, Mike speculated that he was part of a team that was systematically visiting POW camps. Kathy shared photos that her grandfather took of various towns and other sites, photos the family never understood how he had been so many places. Our guide Mike solved that mystery!

We had lunch today at McDonald's. Even though the menu was basically the same as in the U.S. some still had challenges ordering.

Happy Meal menu at McDonald's

American Monument de la Cote 204

We stopped at the American Monument De La Cote 204, “a lasting symbol of friendship and cooperation between the French and Americans. It is considered stripped classical in design and on its west facade are sculptured figures representing the United States and France.

We stopped briefly in Belleau Woods, an area of one square mile. The Battle of Belleau Wood (1–26 June 1918) occurred during the German 1918 Spring Offensive in World War I, near the Marne River in France. The battle was fought between U.S. Army and Third Marine divisions along with French and British forces against an assortment of German units. This battle site is especially honored by the United States Marine Corps where the Marine Corps began their modern history. There were signs of trenches in the forest of very old trees. Some German artillery are still at the site.

Marine 3rd Division Memorial at Belleau Woods

The Aisne-Marne American Cemetery is on the other side of Belleau Woods. Constant Lebastard, assistant superintendent, told us this cemetery gets 40,000 visitors a year. There are 2289 graves here on 42 acres, 250 unknowns, 3 sets of brothers, and one Medal of Honor recipient, Weedon Osbourne.  I need to check about the Medal of Honor, Constant told us that it was designed by Tiffany--I had not heard of that before. The sycamore lined walks were beautiful.

Medal of Honor Recipient, Weedon Osbourne's grave

Tiffany Medal of Honor

After this visit we were in an area where Larry's dad and the 1st Division were. Aged 34, he enlisted as soon as the U.S. declared war. He left the U.S. in October and was gassed in February. Mike told us that the 1st Division was considered Pershing's favorite. They saw heavy fighting. At one point the 18th Infantry regiment (Larry's dad's) were fighting next to the French Foreign Legion. The Legion considered it an honor to fight with the 18th Infantry. The 1st Division had 9000 casualties in 5 days.

In Berzy le Sec we saw a 12th century chateau in ruins from shelling in World War I which the Germans used as a fort. A church was nearby, San Quentin, celebrating 1700 years (I believe the church was built on a 4th century monastery).

Berzy-le-Sec's chateau in ruins and the San Quentin church

We drove on to Roissy and our hotel and our farewell dinner. We have shared this tour with the most delightful people one can imagine. Not only did we all share a common interest, we enjoyed each other's company. Mike even said we were the closest tour group he has had in twenty years.

An anecdote: Our bus driver, congenial Pieter, was truly skilled. He was a sweet 28 year old from the Netherlands with a good sense of humor One day Mike told Pieter to drive the bus down what he thought was a road to see a special site. However it must have been sort of a driveway with no where to turn  a 45 passenger bus around. That meant that Pieter had to back the bus up the whole long length he had driven down.  That backward drive took 15 minutes of backing up! And I said it like that to emphasize the skill! Last year I backed up for 10 yards in my new car last year at a cousin's country house and hit a pile of rocks.

TK's Takes: He spotted a golf course, Golf de Champagne on the way to the Oise-Aisne American Cemetery. This was the first golf course that he noticed.

THE LAST SITES OF THE MEUSE-ARGONNE OFFENSIVE, THE MOST IMPORTANT BATTLE OF WORLD WAR I

Holiday Inn-Reims

Reims, France

August 22, 2015

This has surely been a serious blog! I appreciate Mike Hanlon of www.worldwar1.com /Valor Tours for his sincere interest in ensuring that we have had a great tour. His detailed knowledge of every site, including the ones we didn't see is phenomenal. Every day we pass a minimum of 15 villages, each with a story to tell. We have been in the Meuse-Argonne Sector the last three days covering mostly 1918 battle sites and stories, but some 1916 stories/sites as well. He is able to juggle all of that seamlessly. The Meuse-Argonne area  is mostly a "Hot Zone" because so many engagements took place there. Mike has also been able to point out some battle sites from the Franco Prussian War, Napoleon's battles, and Attila the Hun sites. France has seen its share of wars.

This morning Mike had breakfast with me to discuss the sites we would be going to today that would be Archie's 90^th Division engagements. He likes to review what the letters say and how he is going to intertwine Archie's letters with the specific area of the 90^th Division. He has done that with Kathy, John, and Larry too. Mike and I also talked about audience for my writing and a possible approach. He mentioned that he has seen many many Great War letters. Fortunately I already knew there were a lot, but every story is important.

We left Verdun at 8 a.m sharp and headed to the U.S. Meuse-Argonne Cemetery where 14,246 soldiers are buried, including 9 Medal of Honor recipients, 486 unknowns, 954 missing in action, and 18 sets of brothers. We met David Bedford, the superintendent of the cemetery, who told us that 26,000 American soldiers were killed in this sector in 6 weeks. He spoke of the history of the cemetery and the layout. The cemetery encompasses 130.5 acres.  This is the largest American World War I cemetery in Europe. The Meuse Argonne Offensive was the largest American battle in Europe and is still the largest conflict in U.S. history. 

David told us that 40% of Americans who died in this war were buried in Europe, 60% of Americans who died were repatriated to the U.S.  Six thousand Gold Star mothers visited the European cemeteries in the middle of the Depression. It was only right that mothers see where their beloved sons were buried.

(Note: the offensive took place between the Meuse River and the Argonne Forest. I need to add a disclaimer on every page of this blog.  I was taking notes while Mike was talking, plus I did a lot of reading in the past several years, but I am not a historian and some information may not be totally accurate. I will strive to correct discrepancies)

We laid the beautiful red, white, and blue floral spray that we ordered in Verdun at the gravestone of Harvey Tatum, 29^th Division, 116^th Infantry Regiment, Virginia. That was John's father's regiment and he was from Virginia. Our words, written on the spray's ribbon, were, “Remembrance from your Countrymen, 22 August 2015.” Susan, John's dear wife, beautifully read a poem by Siegfried Sassoon, “Aftermath.”

Maureen and Mary Jane with the floral spray for placement 

at the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery

We went on to the chapel and saw a few more graves. I noted that there were at least 4 men listed on the Missing in Action wall who were in Archie's Company K, 357^th Regiment, 90^th Division.

While we were near the jump-off site of Archie's  90th Division, I read two letters he wrote just after November 11.  He wrote on November 16, 1918, "The firing has stopped and it is indeed a great relief to all and I do hope it continues quiet."

In another letter, dated December 26, 1918, Archie wrote that he did not send a Christmas package coupon home so that the family could send him a package for Christmas, "as I expected to be pushing up daisies long ago."

After seeing so many cemeteries and memorials, the battle sites, the terrain, I can see why Archie felt this way. It is difficult to think about how much peril Archie and all the men were in, death surrounding them. 

This map, engraved into the marble at the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery, 

shows the sector that the 90th Division was in.

In the past, when I would read the names of the villages in France that Archie was in (like Stenay, Baalon, Montmedy) and saw action, I never imagined that I would actually be in those villages. Today when I read the letter sent to Archie by an officer describing the action near Baalon, we were actually looking at the ridge the officer was talking about. My fellow tour friends truly appreciate the connection we each have to this area.

Today we also visited the crash site of "Balloon Buster," Frank Luke, America's second highest scoring air ace during World War I.  Another site we saw was the burial site of Roland Garros, a French pilot killed in action in the Champagne. The French National Tennis Center is named for Garros, an amateur tennis champion. [information taken from material that Mike Hanlon provided]

We ended up in Reims for the night. Tim and I took a walk on the "boulevard" before dinner. We were so thirsty we had two large sodas at Burger King. After drinking those, we went back inside and ordered "la meme chose," the same thing all over again!

MJ on the boulevard near the Holiday Inn

We had an excellent dinner outdoors with our tour friends at Le Cafe de Reims.

Our Holiday Inn in Reims, France

TK's Takes: Tim has remarked about the vast farms we are seeing--huge farm equipment, fields of corn, bales of hay and straw already, other crops, seemingly endless in the battle fertile areas of France that we have covered.

Farmland in the Meuse-Argonne area

p.s. Thank you Writer Friend V, et al!

THE MEUSE ARGONNE OFFENSIVE, CONTINUED

Hotel St. Paul

Verdun, France

August 21, 2015

One of the many emotional parts of the day was when we viewed the areas of Bois de Forges, Molleville Farm, and Brabant sur Meuse. John read one of his father's letters. His father was in the 29^th Division, 116^th Regiment, Co. B. This division experienced 6000 casualties in 23 days. [Note: There are approximately 28,000 men in a division].

The Germans, realizing the need to succeed, used heavy equipment and gas to defend their position—the fighting in this area was only about 30-40 miles from the German border. The eve before this engagement, John's father wrote that he was using a gas mask as a desk, there were big guns roaring and the air was full of battle planes. He also wrote that he was sore from hiking. We moved the bus to another position of the 29^th Division and John read again, “I've had my share of fighting.” John's father wrote of the dense forest and fighting like old time Indian fighting. He said he carried his best friend off the battlefield. John's father also said that he laid in a shell hole one whole day while being shot at. His friend did not survive. [Note: I am paraphrasing and may not have done the letter justice].

John has typed all of his father's letters and compiled a history for his family that he shared with us. It is interesting to see parallel stories of the same time period.

Leaving the area of Molleville Farm and Bois de la Grande Montagne, we could see the Woevre Plain and the Rhine River behind that.

There were many other stops:

Flabas—an interesting story of how putting a POW camp on the front line results in the enemy killing their own soldiers as they fired.

The story of Lt. Col Driant—the first hero of Verdun. His unit was closest to the Germans and could hear them working in the night. The unit warned Verdun. Finally they had to withdraw. Driant gave his groom his wedding ring to give to his wife if he was killed. A few days later their position was untenable and Driant was killed.  He was buried with unknowns from his unit. 

Lt. Col. Driant's Tomb

Battle of Verdun—fought for over 300 nights and days—February 21 to December 25, the longest battle of the war. There were 378,000 French Casualties and 333,000 German casualties (casualties=dead and wounded). The greatest, but most exhausting French victory of World War I. 

Fort Douaumont—the largest fort in the world, covers much land and is three stories high. It was truly a fortification. The construction was an aggregate of cement and stones, obviously very solid. The fort was captured early by the Germans, a perfect observation post for the Verdun battlefield.

Fort Douaumont

Fort Douaumont

Fort Douaumont

Site of Fleury—one of the nine totally destroyed villages, the most famous. It is designated as a "village that died for France."  It was in the hottest zone of Verdun and the area changed hands 14 times in war. Now the village is basically nothing but shell pits. Posts mark the school, the farmhouses, the town hall, the grocery, the baker, the carpenter, the shoemaker, and more. One sign indicated that the soil retained the memory of havoc wreaked by artillery from both sides. An interesting fact that I read on a sign on the small chapel built here: Bavarians fought at this site and some Bavarian villages named streets after Fleury.

Fleury

Memorial at Fleury-devant-Douaumont

Destroyed French villages:

Beaumont-en-Verdunois

Bezonvaux

Cumieres-le-Mort-Homme

Douaumont

Fleury-devant-Douaumont

Haumont-pres-Samogneux

Louvemont-Cote-du-Poivre

Ornes

Vaux-devant-Damloup

 L'Ossuaire de Douaumont / The Ossuary of Douaumont was one of the most spiritual and meaningful stops of our whole trip. This sacred memorial contains the remains of soldiers who died on the battlefield during the Battle of Verdun in World War I. From literature at the memorial, "Approximately 230,000 men died out of a total of 700,000 casualties (dead, wounded and missing). The battle became known in German as Die Hölle von Verdun (English: The Hell of Verdun), or in French as L'Enfer de Verdun, and was conducted on a battlefield covering less than 7.7 sq miles. Both French and Germans are buried here-the remains would be indistinguishable--and some Americans too.

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.

After the Ossuary and after Fleury, we headed back to our hotel in Verdun.

We saw huge farms, so many rocks in the plowed fields. Woods. Hills. 

Earlier this day we were talking about engineers--maybe I asked about the 37th Engineers, the unit my Great Uncle Earl was in.  Now I wished I knew what Division they were with.  I could not find out in a search. 

From Wikipedia I did find: "The 37th Engineer Battalion was first activated on 16 January 1918, as 1st Battalion, 37th Engineer Regiment, whose primary function was electrical and mechanical engineering. During World War I, the battalion participated in the Battle of St. Mihiel and the Meuse Argonne Offensive as a member of the American Expeditionary Force. Following the war, the 37th Engineer Regiment was inactivated in March 1919."  Mike did say that the 37th worked on electrical and mechanical duties. I have a few letters that Uncle Earl wrote so I will check them. Mike also said that engineers were absolutely essential. Many were killed building or rebuilding bridges. He continued that it was the engineers who slowed everything down for the breakthrough of the Battle of the Bulge in World War II.

"My body to earth, my soul to God, my heart to France."

TK's Takes: He saw a hummingbird nest and reminded me about the nesting swallows just outside the 2nd floor window in our Verdun hotel. 

Bon Soir. I will add though that ferns are speaking to me everywhere--- one stood out in the bright sunlight today at the Colonel Driant memorial and a fern frond was left at a memorial in Fleury.

Near the Tomb of Lt. Col.Driant

ARCHIE'S FERN

Hotel St. Paul

Verdun, France
August 20, 2015

The weather was warmer today as we headed by bus nearby to explore the beginning of the Meuse-Argonne Sector, a 25 mile front. It is the largest battle in American history, over difficult terrain—with ridges, the Meuse River, the Argonne Forest, the Aire River, and the Moselle River. Fought between September 26 to November 11, 1918, this battle involved 1.2 million soldiers. Six hundred thousand American soldiers were involved in the opening attack.

While driving, we reviewed maps of the first assaults. We are only about 40 miles from Germany and the area was especially important to the Germans. First we stopped at a well known monument near Chattancourt, Le Mort Homme area dedicated to the 69^th French Division—the monument depicts an enrobed skeleton holding a flag staff. The inscription, “Ils n'ont pas passe,” meaning they did not pass. The French were determined to take this hill. It is said that this is a woods where birds never sing. Losses were heavy but Verdun was saved. The area was reforested because nothing else would grow there. [Note: We try mostly to stay in the same time period as we examine battle areas, but Le Mort Homme was 1916]

Back to the 1918 period, we stopped at a large American monument near Malancourt, where 600,000 soldiers were involved in the opening attack of the Meuse Argonne offensive. There were two hundred steps to the top, but I was more interested in the German observation post and trenches. An Abbe in ruins from the shelling was behind the monument, left as is.

Other areas we visited:

• The site of the Lost Battalion incident (77th Liberty Division from New York)
• A monument to Cher Ami, a carrier pigeon that was wounded but still carried a message out about where the lost battalion was

• Pennsylvania monuments---the state of Pennsylvania had more burials in France from the war than any other state. Three monuments, one especially large (2 acres, both sides of the street in Varenne), were erected by Pennsylvania. (3 PA divisions: 28th, 78th, 79th)

• Exermont near where Larry's father's 1^st Division, 18^th Regiment was.
• Sergeant York Memorial and the path where he encountered Germans who surrendered to him (he was a Corporal at the time) (Chatel-Chehery (CMOH)

• Flaysville/Clierges (check) where our Uncle Earl's 37^th Engineers Division specialized in electrical work.
• Sam Woodfill (CMOH)

As we traveled I noted the hills, the valleys, the ridges, the seemingly very old churches, newer homes that contrast with older stone abodes, the tile roofs, two and one lane roads, tight squeezes on narrow streets that weren't made for 45 passenger buses, about 30 goats crossing the road herded by a sheepdog, the neat gardens, the huge farm equipment, flower boxes, lace window curtains.

I noted the ferns growing along side the road in the forest areas—they made me think again of the dried fern that Archie either carried home or sent home. The fern. Did it distract him from the horrors all around him?  Was it a connection to home? A distraction? Why? A fern, the feathery leaves, the bright green, long since faded. Was it the rare vegetation you saw amongst the devastated ruined landscape? Why?

THE 90TH DIVISION, 357TH REGIMENT AT THE ST. MIHIEL OFFENSIVE

Hotel St. Paul

Verdun, France

August 19, 2015

Today in the Bois de Brulee we walked in German and French trenches just 80 or so feet apart. German trenches just 18 inches wide, maybe two feet. Corrugated metal, posts, cement, built to last. The French trenches were wider, wooden supports and chicken wire holding the banks back.

We found loose barbed wire and sharp metal protrusions all over the area.

We peacefully picnicked again today before we immersed in war again. This was an emotional afternoon, viewing the area where the 90^th Division, 357^th Infantry Regiment was engaged in the St. Mihiel Offensive. The scope of the scene was astounding. I could imagine the rain and the mud, hear the sound of artillery, the voice of command, but most of all I saw Americans accepting their mission and overcoming challenges. Archie was a part of this and I am proud.

According to literature the St. Mihiel Offensive held the record for the largest battle ever fought by Americans, a record that only lasted for two weeks. The American Army filled the valley, more than 550,000 Americans and 110,000 French fought in the offensive from September 12-16.

Monument dedicated to the St. Mihiel Offensive

Today there is peace in this valley, farms, trees are growing, fields of corn and hay. Cattle and sheep graze. Many villages are rebuilt. If Archie were to see land today he would feel at home in farm country, but in September 1918, I can only imagine how these men felt as they faced their first big battle.

Mike narrated the scene through each village, Monauville, Maidieres, Vieville-en-Haye, Frappelle, Fey-en-Hay, Villers sur Preny, Vilcey-en-Trey--the village captured by the 357^th. The Moselle River, the Valley of Death, miles of advancement until the fighting stopped. Archie was there, the Company Scout.

The day's final stop was the St. Mihiel American Cemetery and Memorial in Thiaucourt, France. The cemetery covers 40 acres with 4,153 headstones, either a Cross or Star of David, mostly of carrera marble. Second Lt. J. Hunter Wickersham, who received the Medal of Honor posthumously for his conspicuous gallantry on September 12, 1918, is buried here. We learned that about 7000 Americans lost their lives in this 3 day offensive.

Our U.S. Veterans, Tim (U.S. Navy), John (U.S. Army--not pictured), and Larry (U.S. Army) lowered the two American flags that stand proudly above the cemetery and crisply folded them while Taps was being played. That was an honor for all of us.

HEUREUX MARIAGE AND COUNTING

Hotel St. Paul
Verdun, France
August 18, 2015

Tonight we all took a break from World War I for dinner celebrating our 31st wedding anniversary, complete with a French greeting card from our wonderful companions, and rich chocolate at La Cloche D'Or at 7 p.m. Our new friends are from California, Alaska, North Carolina, the Netherlands, and Paris and Alaska. Four of us have family members who served in World War I. Mike Hanlon is making this tour an extraordinary experience by showing each of us the sites our family served at.

As I write, it is almost 11:30 p.m. and I will be brief as tomorrow is the day we study the 90th Division, Archie's division, and I want to study his letters again.

A few facts I have not mentioned before. There are 8 of us on the tour, Mike Hanlon is our guide, and Peter is driving our 49 passenger bus. The bus is a real plus because we have plenty of room and there is a restroom aboard. Peter supplies us with cold water and soda. Some days we have a boxed lunch from the hotel and other days we stop at the super marche for a sandwich.

[Note to DDIL Denise: There are Aldi's in France!!!]

We leave our hotel at 8 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. depending on the day's itinerary. We have lunch about 1 p.m. and return to the hotel between 5:15 and 6 p.m. We have been meeting for dinner at 6:30 or 7 p.m. Since the French dine leisurely we are  not usually finished until 10 p.m. or so. Quite a pace!!

Today's photos--

At the Hotel de Ville in Verdun we met Michel Blanchet, Chef de Protocol. We had an exquisite visit and saw the Verdun Livres D'Or, Books of Gold, and the special one that lists all American soldiers who were involved in the Verdun engagement, whether they were killed or not. Friend Kathy's grandfather was listed in the book-he was a survivor. M. Blanchet presented Kathy with a clay vial of sacred soil from the battlefield. We were all honored to be there with her.

This image is a detail from the altar at the Catholic Church of St. Gerard in Marbotte. The church, built in the 1790s, was used as a first aid station/hospital during World War I.


Near Seicheprey today we stopped at a site to learn about Larry's father who was in the 1st Division, 18th Infantry, 3rd Battalion, Co. M His unit was gassed twice. The first time 7 tons of phosgene gas was used by the Germans against them--8 men died, 77 treated. At Cantigny (sp?) the 1st Division was gassed again and 700 were treated.  His father almost never talked about the war. The First Division was Pershing's showpiece division.

MARC CHAGALL AND REIMS CATHEDRAL, A VETERAN OF THE WAR

Hotel St. Paul
Verdun, France
August 17, 2015

DRAFT
Another emotional day, but I'm going to write about highlights today. Since we are getting back to the hotel so late from convivial dinner and are spending long days "in the field," we are  tired!

First thing this morning we visited the Reims Cathedral, one of World War I's surviving veterans. Severely damaged during the war, this cathedral became a face of the war so to speak. One can still see shell shots and damaged exterior statues, but much has been repaired. I did not expect to see three fabulous stained glass windows designed by Marc Chagall, the artist I met in France in 1967 when I studied French, history, and art history in Aix en Provence for a year. The windows are exquisite and blues are especially fabulous.

Next we traveled to Suippe where one of our tour members made a connection to her great uncle who fought here for the U.S. Army 42nd Division. All of us appreciated her research and writing and how she was able to be where he was. Her great uncle did not survive the war.

After many more stops in battlefields and cemeteries, we finished with a visit to Main de Massiges where M. Pierre Labat, the town mayor, met us to describe the battle in this area in French. Another tour member lives in Paris and she graciously agreed to translate. We heard rich detail about the grounds near the Meuse River and the Argonne Forest. So many men were lost, five villages completely destroyed, and only a few metres of land gained in three years.  Mayor Labat (and Mike too) said that the Germans would take over villages and dig tunnels between all the basements/cellars of the homes/buildings. Because these villages were destroyed, adjoining towns merged and that is why we are seeing so many towns with hyphenated names. All birth, death, and marriage records were destroyed. That is why now there is a law that all records must be copied and sent elsewhere. Details one does not always see in history books! M. Labat also said that the French were still cleaning up after the war, removing metal and bombs and shells, etc. when World War II began twenty years later.

The people of this area have preserved German and French trenches. We walked four  hectares of trenches with the Mayor while it was raining, The way was slippery in the chalky clay like floors, metal sheets holding back earthen walls, barbed wire just above.

Part of the restored trenches in Main de Massiges

It is late and I must close--the Internet is sketchy and we are in this hotel for 5 nights.

We wish Brother and M Happy Anniversary today!

THE IMMERSION INTO WORLD WAR I BEGINS

Holiday Inn

Reims, France

Sunday, August 16, 2015

Sunny, 24 C

DRAFT

Today was an emotional day and we are only just starting the tour. We passed by so many French cemeteries with white crosses, German cemeteries with gray crosses, and British cemeteries, row upon row of graves. We learned that the Muslim Moroccans made a big contribution in battle. We saw the 22 km marker  near Luzarches (http://www.france-voyage.com/cities-towns/luzarches-36479.htm) that signified how close the Germans got to Paris. The marker says, "Ici s'arrete l'avance ennemie a 22 km de Paris. le 3 Septembre 1914"

We stopped at a place where 22,000 French men were lost in a single day, August 21, 1914-- Ardennes.

French Christian and Moroccan Muslim Grave

We were in Compiegne, the site of the signing of the Armistice in 1918 and where the French surrendered in 1940 to the Germans. There were two swans swimming in a pond nearby. We saw where the first  trenches were built on the Western Front near the Marne River and Chemin des Dames .

I felt like I was getting closer and closer to Archie as the journey continued today. I saw ferns along the roadway and thought of the dried fern that Archie preserved and sent home to his mother. I thought about how he saw a living plant, something that he connected with, and he wanted to save it. Was the fern a connection to home, his humble farming, a hope of being home again?

Thinking of him, I began to notice the small family garden plots, a kind of bush full of ripe deep purple berries, as high as trees—at least 15 ft high and 10 ft wide, the turnip fields, the grape vineyards, lettuce, and cabbage. Since war covered four years, families were surely growing these crops in 1914-1918.

Battle markers and pillboxes and trenches and shell craters dot the country side. Today the farmers just plant around most of them. Mike Hanlon said that the area was a hot zone and we would see more areas where there were more conflicts and we would see more monuments. 

An example of a trench today

Our longest stop was at Caverne du Dragon, a limestone quarry from the time of the 1500s that the Germans captured and used as a strategic military position. As we descended about 15 meters into the quarry, it was notably cooler (12 C). In the darkness the slight smell of earth and wet chalk, the smooth yet pitted ground, and the roughness of the stone, were striking. We could see sabers, helmets, barbed wire on spools, mortar casings, basins for well water, boots, plates, tableware, gas masks, ammo cases, a bunk area, a first aid area, and rusty canned food all indicating a life beneath the earth above. The overhead “ceiling” had 6 inch wide cracks in some places with support beams or chicken wire holding the ceiling back, where shells had struck above. We could see traces of German electrical wiring. 

There were forbidden areas because of danger of collapse. Fifteen French soldiers are still believed to be buried here. The guide told us that 2500 soldiers lived in another similar quarry. He also said that 33 tons of shells and munitions were found in France last year and 63 tons the year before. Recently near Reims two teens were severely injured by a WW I detonator they found. The French theorize that it will take 7 centuries to rid the ground of such munitions.

A memorial in the quarry consists of many flickering candle like lights at varying heights, from 1 ½ to 5 ft high, a very spiritual effect. We walked up 70 stair steps to be above ground again.

See http://www.caverne-du-dragon.com/en/decouvrir-musee/history-caverne-du-Dragon.aspx . Photos were not allowed.

Shell Crater outside the Caverne du Dragon--presumably

above where we were standing in the supported area of the quarry below

Part of the Memorial to the Senegalese soldiers who fought for France in World War I

Our final stop today was Fort de la Pompelle, a fort that defended Reims, the city where we are staying tonight. Tomorrow will be another full day. We enjoyed each others company at dinner on the boulevard in Reims. To Verdun!

From Fort de la Pompelle

Note : I'm probably not able to be succinct because this is somewhat like a field journal. This journey is about my granduncle, Russell Archie Harvey. He valiantly served in the U.S. Army's 90^th Division, 357^th Regiment during World War I, a regiment called “Tough Ombres” because most of the men were from Texas and Oklahoma. The 90^th Division experienced both trench warfare and gas warfare. Most of the U.S. Army did not. Archie's story is unique. I do know that my sons appreciate history and hopefully they understand my interest.

Note to B1 and B2: My dear granddaughters, I hope that someday you will have interests that you will want to know more about and that you somehow understand my interest in our connection to history, and in this instance World War I.

PARIS ENLIGHTENED US!

The Golden Tulip
Roissy-en-France, France
August 15, 2015
Low 70s F, cloudy till afternoon

Because of the superb advice from Thiphaine at the front desk last night we took the hotel shuttle to the CDG Airport, found Terminal 2 for the RER 3, and took the train to Paris! We hopped off the train at Cathedral Notre Dame de Paris and hopped on a Big Bus (HOHO) by 10:30 a.m. Since it has been 48 years since I was in Paris, I thought this would be a great way to acclimate us to the beautiful city and see the places we wanted to see in the one day we have. Since it was early in the morning, we were able to score front seats undercover on the top level.  I know Randy, Coleen, and B2 will understand the importance of that!

We saw the Eiffel Tower, the Champs Elysees with Mercedes, Citroen, Toyota, and Peugeot dealership showrooms like you would expect to see a department store, the Arc de Triomphe, Les Invalides where Napoleon is buried, the Louvre, La Place de la Concorde, the Seine, the Sorbonne, and so much more.  Next time we visit Paris, we will make certain there is time to see more places in depth! The supreme art, architecture, and history of a city I love.

Eiffel Tower

L'Arc de Triomphe

Janie at Cathedrale Notre Dame de Paris

Notre Dame-note flying buttresses

We decided to have lunch at La Solita Taverne in the Latin Quarter. We enjoyed salads, pizza with ham (me), and 4 cheese penne pasta (TK).

TK at La Solita Taverne

I already found made some neat purchases for B1, B2, and Brian in the Latin Quarter. Just wait!

We retraced our steps, got back to the airport, then back to the hotel by 6:30, just in time for our Welcome Dinner with Mike Hanlon and the other people on our World War I Centennial Tour. All have a keen interest in military history, and some, like me, have family connections. Two men are honoring their fathers who were born in the late 1800s and served in World War I.

TK's Takes: He noted that Paris has more traffic lights than Erie, almost one per block. We did not see many police, but we saw more soldiers with AK 47-like weapons, especially near the Notre Dame. The city is bigger than he imagined.  Note for Brother Bill: The traffic circle at L'Arc de Triomphe had at least 13 streets feeding into it, craziness everywhere.

Friend C C: There are beautiful gardens everywhere, with flowers just like home, lavender, Russian sage, gaillardia, and more. Bon chance demain avec la presentation!

WE ARE DRENCHED, BUT WE EXPLORED!

The Golden Tulip
Roissy en France
August 14, 2015

We arrived safely at Charles de Gaulle Airport at about 5:50 a.m. EST/DST, after leaving Erie at about 5 p.m. Thursday. The Detroit-Paris flight of 275 passengers and at least 12 crew was smooth and as comfortable as one can be on a jet these days. Neither of us slept on the flight. We were served two meals, dinner and light breakfast. Navigating the way to go through Airport Customs and finding our checked luggage makes us grateful that we can walk easily because the people movers and some escalators were not working. It appears that CDG is very secure and very large.

We found the hotel shuttle area after passing five gendarmes with AK 47 like weapons. This made me think of a recent conversation in Erie -- the lady I was speaking with said she did not want to cruise in the Caribbean because some islands have armed security walking all around.  Here we are in France with heavily armed security. I believe it is a sign of the times.

We arrived at The Golden Tulip at 1 p.m. UTC/GMC +2---meaning the European Summer Time Zone sort of. In other words we are moving into French time, add 6 hours to DST in Erie.

The Golden Tulip is a pleasant hotel--we have a clean double room with modern furnishings. I admit the first thing we did was crash. When we awoke about 4 hours later we decided to explore the area. We found that Roissy is a pleasant little village about a ten minute walk from the hotel with cobbled streets, a mix of old and new. We used an ATM to get euros and found a small grocery store for water, Coke Zero, and two bananas--dinner!

Just as we accomplished this it began to rain. And rain. By the time we got back to the hotel, we were soaked!

Tomorrow we hope to take the train to Paris and spend the day before we meet our new friends, including Mike Hanlon, our tour guide. I reviewed several World War I books on the flight over, including the handbook that Archie was given at discharge from the U.S. Army. This handbook describes the action of  Archie's 357th Regiment, 90th Division. I have lots of questions.

PACKED AND READY!

We are packed and ready to go. I am glad that we are not flying out of Erie until about 5 p.m. That gives us several hours to make certain we have everything we need. I have been reading so many books in preparation for this trip as well as my writing. I am glad that Tim has been able to study the details of our travel. I think he knows where every Starbucks is in Paris.

I just finished reading the chapter on 1915 in Elizabeth Greenhalgh's The French Army and the First World War--there is a paragraph attributed to Abel Ferry, deputy for the Vosges and a sub-lieutenant in 166 RI.
In a letter dated 21 May 1915, Ferry wrote, "A sinister, almost vertical, slope descends into the valley of'death.' Not a single tree that a shell has not cut; as spring grows greener, the ground in Les Eparges is of volcanic sterility. The plain is green; The Meuse heights are green, but [here] the ground is black and turned over, craters everywhere, enormous holes big enough to bury a whole squad...the trenches are constructed of..." (pp.84-85)

I don't continue because some readers may balk, but the truth is horrifying. I feel this journey is going to get me closer to Archie's experience. I hope that I am ready.

OFF TO FRANCE!

Because of the encouragement of the wonderful writing group that I belong to and my desire to truly honor my grand uncle Archie, I have decided to travel to France next Thursday to take a World War I Centennial Tour with Michael Hanlon and Valor Tours, Ltd.

Michael Hanlon is the driving force behind www.worldwar1.com, an extraordinary website with phenomenal resources for my work. I subscribe to the daily blog, “Roads to the Great War,” which helps me gain an understanding of the events of 1914 to 1918. I have purchased books recommended by the site too.

According to trip documents I just received, the following will be our itinerary:

Friday, August 14, 2015 / Paris, France:

Arrival in Paris

Saturday, August 15, 2015:

Tour Paris on our own—Welcome Dinner at 7 p.m.

Sunday, August 16, 2015 / Reims, France:
The Failure of the War Plans; Trench Warfare Begins; the Chemin des Dames & Reims Sector

• The Race to the Sea Begins
• Chemin des Dames Battlefields
• Caverne du Dragon
• Four Siege of Reims
• Fort de la Pompelle
• Reims/Hotel

Monday, August 16, 2015 / Reims, France
Battle of the Champagne; The Argonne Forest

• Reims Cathedral, Great War Veteran
• Champagne Battlefields
• Russians on the Western Front
• Navarin Farm, French & US Rainbow Division Battlefield
• Blanc Mont: Forgotten AEF Victory
• Harlem Hellfighters Memorial
• La Main de Massiges
• Butte de Vauquois
• Drive to Verdun

Tuesday, August 18, 2015 / Verdun, France
The French Battles of St. Mihiel

• Forts of Mihiel—Troyon, Camp des Romains, Liouville
• Bois d'Ailly & Trench of Thirst
• Marbotte Memorial Church
• 1915 Sacrifice at Flirey
• U.S. 1^st Division Gas Attack
• Mont Sec: German Outpost/American Memorial
• German Infrastructure
• Alain-Fournier Memorial
• Eparges Spur

Wednesday, August 19, 2015 / Verdun, France
The American Battles of St. Mihiel

• 4^th Division of Manhuelles
• 26^th Division at Tranchee de Calonne
• Salient Cut at Vignuelles
• 1^st Division Leads the Assault
• Yanks in the Trenches at Bois Brule
• George Patton Commands the First American Tank Attack
• 5^th Division in both World Wars
• 90^th Division, Advance & The Valley of Death
• Thiacourt, American St. Mihiel Cemetery

Thursday, August 20, 2015 / Verdun, France

The Meuse Argonne Offensive, Opening Moves

• The Challenge of Monfacon; U.S. Memorial
• Missouri & Pennsylvania Memorials
• The Lost Battalion
• Sgt. York's Medal of Honor Site
• 1^st Division in the Argonne
• Sam Woodfill Medal of Honor Site
• Breaking Kriemhilde Stellung

Friday, August 21, 2015 / Verdun, France
Meuse Argonne Offensive, Crossing the Meuse; & Verdun

• Mort Homme
• Fighting on the Right of the Meuse
  33^rd Division Crossing
  29^th Division October Fight
• Henry Gunther, 79^th Division, Last to Fall in Combat in WWI
• Frontline at Verdun
• 1916 Verdun Battlefield
• Andre Magnot Memorial
• Faubort Pave National Cemetery

Saturday, August 22, 2015 / Verdun, France
Final Victory, Last Phase of Meuse Argonne

• U.S. Meuse Argonne Cemetery
• 90^th Division Jump Off
• 5^th Division Crosses the Meuse
• Frank Luke Crash Site
• 90^th Division at Baalon
• 89^th Division Armistice Site
• U.S. Vth Corps Heads for Sedan
• Pt. Magus
• Buzancy, Crossroads of the Argonne
• I Corps Final Major Battle
• Roland Garros Burial

Sunday, August 23, 2015 / Reims, France
The AEF Defends the Marne & Goes on the Offensive

• Quentin Roosevelt Crash Site
• U.S. Oise-Aisne Cemetery
• Rainbow Division Sites
• Hill 184 and Seringes et Nesles
• Croix Rouge Farm Memorial
• 3^rd Division Sites
• Le Charmel & Jaulgonne
• Rock of the Marne
• Chateau Thierry
• Town Square
• U.S. Memorial
• Belleau Wood
• 1^st Division at Soissons
• Departure Dinner

Monday, August 24, 2015 / Paris, France
Depart for Erie