Earlier this week, I watched three episodes of American Experience on PBS, about America’s involvement in World War I. I never knew much about the war; I guess we never got that far in World History (in something the same way that we never got much beyond the Civil War in American History, or much beyond the Alamo in Texas History). Starting in 2014, as the centennial mark of the beginning of the war meant that there was more attention to it, I tried to become more informed, which just lead to lots of weeping. But, I started with:
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- The series *Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales,* is my favorite source for fast historical information. I’ve read this one before, but I barely kept the players straight. I’ve checked it out again and am going to reread it.
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- They are graphic novels, so, quick reads. Six stories, so far, ranging from the Revolutionary War to, um, the Donner Party.
Also, I knew that my paternal grandfather served in France in WWI. My maternal grandfather, by time America got involved and established a draft, had four daughters, including a young infant, so most likely draft-exempt.
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- I’ve found my grandfather’s draft registration card, filled in on June 5, 1917, about three weeks after the Selective Service Act was enacted
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- I also found his record of service.
Leroy Goodwin began his service on October 2, 1917, and was part of the American Expeditionary Forces, from June 1918 ’til January 1919, with an Honorable Discharge on February 15, 1919. Armistice Day for WWI was November 11, 1918. I know absolutely nothing else about his military service.
Except that he had some time to shop, probably in those weeks between Armistice Day and when he came back home.
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- These are dishes that my grandfather brought back (or more likely, sent back) from Europe. The larger dishes say, “Limoges Francais” on the back. The smaller one says “Bavaria.”
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- When we had an estate sale, we asked a friend with pottery and porcelain expertise to help us evaluate all the things Mother had collected over the years. This bowl, also from my great-grandfather’s wartime travels, had a value of about $400. We were horrified to think that it had been sitting on the whatnot shelf in the living room, all the years that the grandchildren would play boisterously, just inches away from something so valuable. (Of course, the children were also valuable, in different ways.)
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- The back of the bowl
My grandmother in the center. From the left: her brother, Frank, her Army son (Ozero, my Dad), Grandma, her Navy sons (C.L. and Joe)–they all came home alive
My dad’s older brother C. L. enlisted in the Navy right after the Pearl Harbor attack. Their younger brother, Joe, wanted to, but had to wait until he was a little bit older. My Dad was in college at Ohio State, and wanted to finish school. But, he got drafted into the Army. He ended up stationed in Texas, where he met my mother. He was part of the occupation army in Japan, after the war ended. He did finish school, but instead of Ohio State, it was at Baylor in Waco, where he and my mother lived happily ever after.
David’s dad was a medic in WWII, in Belgium and Luxembourg. His brother was an army man, too.
I looked at maps, to try to see how WWI affected Europe.
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- Europe before the war
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- Europe after the war
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- This *really* interesting depiction of the pre-war situation, appears (judging from the labels) to have been drawn by the Germans.
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- This one, again looking at the captions, seems to have French origins. The Caption at the top left-hand corner says, “Alert! The dogs bark.” And the bear doesn’t look all that cooperative, either.
Also, I found this: 40 maps that explain WWI. When I have some time, I think it will help explain things, too. But, I will not have time now. Peter’s coming!
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- Meanwhile, aren’t the impatiens pretty!
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- At church, we put fresh flowers on an empty cross on Easter Sunday. Last year, Peter was first. We brought the only flowers we had–yellow pansies.
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- We were halfway to church on Easter Sunday morning when I remembered that I’d forgotten to cut some daisies to bring.
After this I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying,
“Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power to our God, (New Revised Standard Version)
και μετα ταυτα ηκουσα φωνην οχλου πολλου μεγαλην εν τω ουρανω λεγοντος αλληλουια η σωτηρια και η δοξα και η τιμη και η δυναμις κυριω τω θεω ημων (1550 Stephanus New Testament [Greek])
יט לאחר מכן שמעתי קול אדיר שנשמע כקול המוני אנשים בשמים: “הללויה! הודו לה’! הישועה, הכבוד (Hebrew)
Afta da big angel guy wen talk, jalike one dream, I wen hear one big noise dat wen sound like get plenny peopo inside da sky. Dey singing,
“God, he da greates! Hallelujah! He take us outa da bad kine stuff we stay in! He da awesome One! An he da One dat get plenny power! (Hawai’i Pidgin)
После этого я услышал голос, звучащий, как голос огромного множества людей. Они восклицали в небесах:
– Аллилуйя!
Спасение, слава и сила у нашего Бога (Russian)
Revelation 19:1
No matter how you say it, it’s Hallelujah! Our God reigns.
I’m hoping to drive to Texas this summer with the car full of all that stuff from the Cinderella bags. Then we’ll look at it all again and decide what to do with it all. “and they lived happily ever after”