The Bells of Peace

It's the "ah-ha" moment.
Now, I understand, but only to a point.
Armistice Day - November 11 at 11 AM, WWI ended - The War to End All War.
Sunday, November 11 marks 100 years  since that declaration - 1918 - 2018.
Ring the Bells of Peace - 11 times at 11:00 on the 11th month, 11th day.
       
American soldiers arrived in Europe in time to save the day for the world in a war that had been ongoing since 1914. Not long after America joined the fighting with not only supplies but troops, the Austrian emperor abdicated and it was over.

T.G. Dansby, Sr. (Papaw) in France

        Americans who felt they could not fail to serve the greater good had rushed to assist the allies. The extolled glamour of being on the side of "right" lured these men who had no idea what they would experience, what they would see. As the war continued, the selective service came into existence and men were called to war.
       When they lived the nightmare, it's no wonder WWI was to be the "war that ended all war." Who in their right mind would go to war after seeing and experiencing the brutality and human carnage of trench warfare.
         In The Ambulance Drivers and Three Soldiers, the writers were able to share encounters that made a profound impact on this reader. The German shells that landed in the trenches, the inhumanity of man that these soldiers witnessed, the deafening sound of war would surely bring an end to all war. 
        The term "shell shock," the "mustard gas" that killed from the inside out, the screaming projectiles and the eerie silence just before impact resulted in casualties, wrecked cities and ruined countryside. Soldiers either survived the battle or they died. Quite simply, the horrifically wounded did not come home.
   
     Many "end the war" celebrations take place, but Veterans Day has remained a time of honor and sober remembrance. This particular observation, the 100 year anniversary of the armistice of WWI, is worthy of  bells.
        We honor Veterans Day on November 11, and vow to ring the Bells of Peace.