100th anniversary of Armistice Day

[HouWarrior]

Saturday November 11, 2017 is the 100th anniversary of Armistice Day.

All of us owe Veterans for their service, ...but this year ...November 11, 1917 is particularly special to me. I owe my very existence to that day.

The Great War, or War to End all Wars had been raging since 1914. It had killed more people in 3 years than all prior wars, combined. The Allies and Central Powers had grown weary of war. Accordingly, it was agreed...on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month the War would end in an Armistice. 11/11 at 1100 hours...cute symmetry, right?  Not.

Some of the most ferocious fighting occurred during the last minutes of the war. It was...Human nature...we have bullets and shells here, why not shoot them off? Why go to bed on July 4th when you still have some fireworks left to shoot off?

The USA had joined the war just 6 months before and its force had barely assembled, trained, boated over and settled on the front line ....and this thing was due to be over. Eager to prove their mettle, some US officers ordered meaningless last minute attacks.

My middle name is Jorgen, as I am named after my paternal grandfather. Jorgen was a USA Doughboy in Verdun, far from his farm in South Dakota. Farmboy strong with great arm strength, Jorgen was the designated Grenadier...the guy who had to crawl up there with bags of grenades and lob them into the German trenches.

On November 11, 1917 , shortly after 11:oo am, Jorgen was blown to bits by a German shell. His body was carried to the medical area, left with the dead, and a dog tag was removed. The death notice went out to his family.

Miraculously, a field surgeon passed by, noticed this guy wasn't quite dead, and Jorgen lost a lung, but his mangled body was patched up by the docs. 6 months later, his family freaked out seeing their dead Jorgen clearly still alive and walking down the street of his hometown of Viborg SD USA.

I never knew the name of the US Field Surgeon who saved Jorgen, but its exactly 100 years later,.... I and his progeny of about 60 people owe their very existence to Jorgen living on. A 100 year thank you to that Doc.

My grandpa Jorgen always drove home to me that his hero in that war, ...that November 11, ... was not anybody who toted a gun, but rather it was that Doc who saved his life, and then he would add ...."it sure wasn't that sh*t head Hun artilleryman who lost his damn watch"...

Take a moment on the 100th November 11 to remember and give thanks.

[GGGG]

Cool story.  Thanks for sharing.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

That's an amazing story Hou. Thank you for sharing.

[Herman Cain]

I participated in a wreath laying ceremony at our club today and thought of this post.  What an incredible story on so many levels.

[jsglow]

Wonderful story.  Thanks for sharing.

[Dr. Blackheart]

Wonderful story.  Thanks for sharing.

+1.  Sounds like a movie.  Wearing my vet wristlet today.

[MU82]

My dad served under Patton in the Battle of the Bulge.

Every day is Veteran's Day for me, as I think about him every single day.

To all veterans, and all who lost loved ones who were veterans, I wish you good fortune.

[Archies Bat]

Good stuff, but wasn't it in 1918?

[B. McBannerson]

Good stuff, but wasn't it in 1918?

Yes




Great story by Houwarrior, however.

[HouWarrior]

Yes




Great story by Houwarrior, however.

Well this whole thing was one full year off ...face red...very red. I am not going to repost this in one year  so please remember this then.

Doh!!

[B. McBannerson]

Well this whole thing was one full year off ...face red...very red. I am not going to repost this in one year  so please remember this then.

Doh!!

Amazing story about your grandfather.  Makes you wonder back in the day how many other men perhaps could have made it, but didn't get the chance. 

We would like to have you here the entire year!  We all make mistakes.  Hope Houston is recovering well.  Supposed to be there in two weeks for Turkey Day, but had to change plans recently.

[Juan Anderson's Mixtape]

Well, this year was the 100th Armistice Day. So there's that.

Great story anyway!

[Spotcheck Billy]

Unfortunately, last night I learned that this November 10 will probably be the last Veteran's Day parade in downtown Milwaukee. The vets in my HOG chapter have been managing the parade's logistics since 9/11 when the previous vets that did this were deployed.

They sadly lost their main corporate sponsor and have not been successful in securing more funding making this the 100th anniversary likely the last for the time being.

Please support our vets and come out next month before the game against Bethune Cookman and show your support one more time.