100 years ago today (April 6th) the United States entered World War I
6https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_entry_into_World_War_I
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/u-s-enters-world-war-i
On April 6, 1917, two days after the U.S. Senate votes 82 to 6 to declare war against Germany, the U.S. House of Representatives endorses the decision by a vote of 373 to 50, and the United States formally enters the First World War.
Nasty world out there.
- 7 comments, 8 replies
- Comment
Friday April 6th, 1917:
Saturday April 7th, 1917:
Monday November 11th, 1918:
Tuesday November 12th, 1918:
Hope our current situation ends well.
When I was a kid, quite a few World War 1 veterans were still hale and healthy in their mid '60s to '70s, marching and participating in the Memorial Day and other parades; sometimes Dad took us to watch, or we saw them on TV. My paternal Grandfather, who passed away in 1969, was a combat veteran of that war, but had lost his ability to speak in the years between my birth and being old enough to understand. I’m told he never spoke of his service but was proud to have served.
I have his funeral flag.
I remember crying when I read that Frank Buckles, the last known American veteran of World War 1 passed away in 1911 (at the age of 110! and he was working his farm still at 106…). An amazing person.
@duodec Sigh, typo. Frank Buckles died in 2011, born in 1901.
Kids today have no idea what that war meant. They think that the US was always seen as a world leader, as a military strong-arm, as a force in politics and influence in the world. Actually, WWI was what gave us those titles (honors), and was supposed to be “the war to end all wars”. Sadly, it was much of the beginning.
I remember that many of those who fought in WWI mentored and coached those who had fought in WWII. The VFW’s, etc., were places that the guys could go and share war stories with those who had been through it and help those younger deal with their memories, as well.
Thanks for bringing this up. I didn’t realize it, but glad that I’m now aware. I may go out to the National Cemetary today and say a prayer.
@Tadlem43
It saddens me that we now have an unbreaking line of generations that have experienced war, starting with WWI. What a joy it will be when this is all over.
@DVDBZN
I thought since the Civil War?
@f00l
Good catch. At that point we can also add the War of 1812 and the War for Independence. This nation was born of war, and to war it will likely fall.
@DVDBZN
And the Indian Wars.
And the Mexican-American War.
And if you are in Texas, throw in the Texas War of Idependence.
And the War of 1812 (the N American Theater of the Napoleonic Wars, to Europeans),
And the American War of Independence,
And the French and Indians Wars.
And before that, European class and religious wars which sparked much of the initial impulse toward migration across the Atlantic (some of my Huguenot ancestors came because of the St Bartholemew’s Day Massacre and the Seige st La Rochelle against the Protestants, initiated by Catherine De Medici, Queen of France, and the Catholic Church.)
And all those continental European Wars, and English vs French, English vs Spanish, vs Scottish, vs Irish conflicts, and the Spanish wars of conquest in the New World, and all the other wars I forget about, and that’s just in Europe.
A lotta wars.
@DVDBZN The kids today don’t understand the cost of war. They have no concept of the reality of death, the conviction of giving your life for the betterment of your world and your country. If it isn’t in a video game or on a iPhone, it isn’t ‘reality’.
They don’t know what ‘fight’ is. They’ve been taught that everyone is equal, no one should lose, and discipline is abuse (thank you, Dr. Spock).
They don’t know real respect for those who have served, only the politically correct nod to those in uniform. (A general statement, of course) THAT’S what saddens me.
Of course, I don’t ever want there to be war, but I do want the lives given to be respected…truly respected, not just lip-serviced. The price was too high for us to not pass it on to other generations.
Even the Bible says that there will always be wars, but, you’re right, it’ll be a joy when it’s all over.
I have read descriptions of the American soldiers arriving in France.
Many European armed forces started The War To End All Wars by making it clear that their generals had not studied the American Civil War, and still thought they were fighting as soldiers and generals of the Napoleonic Wars, but with better weaponry and mechanized transportation. They expected a war of a few months.
By 1917, they had learned: but the soldiers were, all too commonly by then, gassed, exhausted, burnt out, cynical, often demoralized and despairing, bereaved, often ill or injured, and sometimes without hope. Many of them had visions of being in that hell of war for all the future they could imagine, unless they were killed, or catastrophically injured.
The Americans showed up, not having already been exhausted, depleted, shattered, and gassed during more than 2-1/2 years of war. Strong, tall, healthy, in good health, well-fed, optimistic, patriotic, full of energy, amazing with weapons, and astonishing sharp-shooters (an American characteristic the Europeans had noted as far back as the French and Indian Wars).
And the American military had excellent logistics, vehicles, and weaponry, fuel supplies, and money for what they needed. More than one French or British soldier, upon first sight of the as yet clean and unbloodied US troops, gained strong faith that the war would end in victory for those who opposed the German armies.
History looks inevitable once it becomes fact, and then becomes the past. Was the Allied victory of WWI inevitable? No way to know now.
One of my Grandfathers was an WWI American pilot in Europe. I have no memories of his ever speaking of his time in the war. However, according to family lore, he believed he would die in Europe before he went, because that’s what too often happened to pilots in that age.
(The other Grandfather, quite a bit older, fought in the Spanish-American War as a teenager. He had lied about his age in order to join the Navy. He never spoke of war either.)
At the end of war
@f00l Wow! Thanks for sharing the pics!
My paternal Grandfather was a WWI veteran. He was in the US Army Infantry in France. He was born in 1894, so was ~20 when he was there. I spoke with him many times about his experiences in the war. A couple of those that come to mind are him describing “stacking bodies like cord wood (fire wood) in burial pits” of victims of the Spanish Flu, and of him having leave due, when a lieutenant decided he wasn’t going to allow granddad to go, grandad flipped him the bird and headed off to Paris while the lieutenant was hollering that he was going to face court-martial when he returned. Never happened.
Grandad passed away peacefully at home in 1984, age 90. He still had a sharp mind until the end. All three of our kids got to spend time with him, too.
@Lurker Awesome! Sometimes you have to go with your heart and convictions. You just have to!