Armistice Day

Today is the 104th anniversary of Armistice Day. The day the war to end all wars ended.

At the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, the Great War ends. At 5 a.m. that morning, Germany, bereft of manpower and supplies and faced with imminent invasion, signed an armistice agreement with the Allies in a railroad car outside Compiégne, France. The First World War left nine million soldiers dead and 21 million wounded, with Germany, Russia, Austria-Hungary, France, and Great Britain each losing nearly a million or more lives each. In addition, at least five million civilians died from disease, starvation, or exposure.

Linda and I went to the Arc de Triompe to watch France celebrate the anniversary that marked the end of WW I. Very impressive, very somber. The French would stop us and thank us for what our country did in WW I. They will never forget. This not only happened in Paris, it also happened in the other places we visited in France. After this ceremony ended, we went to the American Cemetery in Paris, where they held a Veterans’ ceremony, honoring the U.S. veterans. Everyone stood for our flag and the Star Spangled Banner. (French included). This has been a great ending to a great tour. We have made some new friends and had a great trip. James White, our tour leader and Steven Girard, our historian, went above and beyond on this trip. They were very patient, very knowledgeable, and professional. It was a fun time and a great learning experience.

We will be here a couple of more days and then we will be heading home.