Thread: 11/11, 11.00

We must never forget those who gave the ultimate sacrifice.


A nice post Bub

Paul.

90 years. Wow. It seems like centuries. You would think we would have learned more from that huge loss of human life. I believe we lost over 400,000 Americans. I remember eavesdropping on my grandfather, a WWII hero, speaking to my father, A Korean Conflict hero, speaking to my uncle as he was getting ready to go off to Vietnam about the very same issue. Will we ever learn?

I tip my hat to all those who fought for us.

Originally Posted by bub

I've watched several documentaries about WWI today on TV. I don't understand how such a butchery could happen: most of them must have known that they were going to die!

For example, there are hundreds of thousands of graves around Ypres. Basically, they're grouped into units (example: "5th Grenadier Regiment", followed by the names of all the soldiers that were in this regiment, from the officiers to the drummers)

Another example: did you know that during the first days of the war (august 1914), a French army stormed into the Belgian Ardennes, attempting to stop the Germans. 150,000 French soldiers have been killed there in 10 days, which is incredible when you compare it to the 200,000 US Soldiers who have been killed on the Western Front during the whole WWII.

Others examples are the battles of Verdun (250,000 killed for a hill), of the Somme (over one million killed) or Ypres (over one million of soldiers killed for a small town).

I wonder why there weren't more mutinies.

Fortunately, there is now a lasting peace in Europe, thanks to the European Union.

Today, we played not only the Brabançonne, but also the European Anthem.
YouTube - Beethoven 9th - Ode to Joy

The more people become informed. The less they choose death. Leaders grip on people is less constricting of their thoughts and the truth.

I'm glad their is much less death by slaughter now days. Doesn't make for good humans.

On a side note, some Allied generals knew the armistice had been signed, but gave orders to continue the fight as it was not 11:00 AM yet. Some local commanders refused those orders, as the germans were in retreat in those areas, or trying to retreat. They would not see their men killed for no reason. The other commanders agreed with Pershing, and a few others, that the germans had not suffered enough based on terms of the armistice, and sent thousands of our troops to their deaths. Congress reproached Pershing about it a year later, but nothing came of it.
It was a black mark in history. Too bad it isn't in all our history books so our troops know when to disobey their commanders...
I know, you can't fight a battle that way, but you can't win either....
Too many of our leaders see the front line troops as just pawns on a chess board...

::November 11th 1918::

World War I: Wasted Lives on Armistice Day » HistoryNet

Originally Posted by UtahBill

On a side note, some Allied generals knew the armistice had been signed, but gave orders to continue the fight as it was not 11:00 AM yet. Some local commanders refused those orders, as the germans were in retreat in those areas, or trying to retreat. They would not see their men killed for no reason. The other commanders agreed with Pershing, and a few others, that the germans had not suffered enough based on terms of the armistice, and sent thousands of our troops to their deaths. Congress reproached Pershing about it a year later, but nothing came of it.
It was a black mark in history. Too bad it isn't in all our history books so our troops know when to disobey their commanders...
I know, you can't fight a battle that way, but you can't win either....
Too many of our leaders see the front line troops as just pawns on a chess board...

::November 11th 1918::

World War I: Wasted Lives on Armistice Day » HistoryNet

‘How many generals did you lose on that day?’ Bland went on. ‘None,’ Conner replied. ‘How many colonels did you lose on that day?’ Conner: ‘I do not know how many were lost.’ ‘How many lieutenant colonels did you lose on that day?’ Conner: ‘I do not know the details of any of that.’ ‘I am convinced,’ Bland continued, ‘that on November 11 there was not any officer of very high rank taking any chance of losing his own life….’

Conner, visibly seething, retorted, ‘The statement made by you, I think, Mr. Bland, is exceedingly unjust, and, as an officer who was over there, I resent it to the highest possible degree.’

Bland shot back, ‘I resent the fact that these lives were lost and the American people resent the fact that these lives were lost; and we have a right to question the motive, if necessary, of the men who have occasioned this loss of life.’ With that, Conner was dismissed.

What a ****ing ********
They should have executed Pershing (+ generals like Foch and Nivelle) on that day

a similar fiasco, gully ravine at gallipoli...
The 1914-18 War - Gallipoli