"This is a war to end all wars."
--- President Woodrow Wilson.
Recently invited to the Gerstner Field Tea by the DAR in a replica of a World War I Hangar in Baton Rouge, I was reminded of the Washington Parish Fair where the Great War was the focus of the historical exhibit in the Armory. Glimpsing the display, assembled by historian Bill Stafford and his comrades, made me remember - and revere - the men, our Guardsmen who, serving in Louisiana National Guard Company "G" which became part of the First Regiment of Louisiana Infantry, took part in World War I.
Initially, President Woodrow Wilson declared that the United States would remain neutral, but provoked by German submarine warfare, the United States declared war on Germany, entering World War I on April 6, 1917. By 1918, our troops grew from a mere 130,000 to a legion of over two million.
From the Bogalusa area, over 300 men fought in World War I, while the parish as a whole had 3,300 men who served as volunteers or took part through selective service.
My father's papers from the National Guard, which he once commanded, revealed: "The Bogalusa and Amite companies were mobilized as part of the 1st Infantry Regiment in 1916 to engage Villa, the Mexican revolutionary. Returning home without seeing action, the units departed immediately for duty in World War I. The troops were dispersed, some into the 154th for action on the front, while the 114th served with the First Army in the Meuse-Argonne Campaign." In excess of 1.2 million Americans took part in the Meuse-Argonne Campaign, and 126,000 of them were wounded or killed.
Of the Americans killed in action from 1917-1918 in World War I, Washington Parish lost Luther Bennett, Hanby A. Blackwell, Benjamin H. Bloebaum, John Burton, Wallace H. Busby, Hosie Butler, Hardy V. Carter, Claude I. Conerly, Ernest Conerly, Willis B. Corkern, Wm. Houston Crain, Ambrose Cutrer, Claude Deson, Willie Dillon, Dave Fortinberry, J. L. Fortinberry, Jules Galloway, Jesse James, Willie O. Jenkins, Andrew Z. Jones, Van K. Jones, Alton Deslos Lee, Elmer Lowrey, Homer B. Magee, William Mobley, Wm. Flynn Parker, Oda G. Passman, Obie Ricks, Frank Rodgers, C. R. Scarborough, J. Shelton Smith, Virgil V. Varnado, Charles Walker, Fayette Whitfield, Elias Williams, and Marion Williams (roll derived from the monument on the courthouse square).
The November 10, 1938, edition of "The Era-Leader" reverently remembered them as having made the "supreme sacrifice." The Homer B. Magee Post No. 113 of the American Legion in Franklinton memorialized them. Additional names in the newspaper were Edward McCain, Otis William Morris, and George W. Pierce. I sincerely hope that I haven't omitted anyone.
Armistice Day, known today as Veterans Day, commemorates the Armistice signed by the Allies of World War I and Germany at Compiegne, France, -- at the eleventh hour (11:00 a.m.), on the eleventh day, of the eleventh month. It marked the end of World War I, at least on the western front, on November 11, 1918, 105 years ago last Saturday.
I digress in recounting my mother's remembrance of Armistice Day. A history buff and faithful friend, she declared each year until her last, "Today is Armistice - it is Victory's birthday." Her dear friend Victory Carter Green had been born November 11, 1918, to Osceola and Clotile Magee Carter. The wife of Chester, Victory was the mother of my husband's beloved brother-in-law Dick Green; Bonnie Green Pope, my friend and Buccanette sponsor; Chet Green, and the late Rankin Green.
World War I had its beginning on Sunday, June 28, 1914, in Sarajevo, Bosnia, where Archduke Franz Ferdinand, who was heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary, and his wife, Sophie, were assassinated. This was a precursor that people are prone to forget, an oversight my son-in-law Dr. Erik Green who, with dual citizenship in the United States and Sweden, is a veritable expert on European history, once discussed with me.
Suspecting that Serbia was responsible for the assassination, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia one month later on July 28. By October 30, Austria-Hungary, Germany, and the Ottoman Empire - the Central Powers - were at war with Belgium, France, Great Britain, Russia, and Serbia - the Allies. It was several years before the United States entered the war, but the losses suffered were devastating.
Over 100 years later, it was in Staunton, Virginia, at the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Museum that Rodney and I grasped the extent of it. Living in the trenches, the soldiers were subject to foul weather, disease, and other horrific conditions, one of which was trench foot. All in addition to the enemy. Yet, they persevered using weaponry at hand. By the time the Germans were ready to call a ceasefire, in October of 1918, the casualties on both sides were monumental. The Allies lost 22.4 million men, and the Central Powers lost 16.4 million.
I well remember Bill Stafford sharing the poignant story of his grandfather Norman James "Pompey" Stafford, Jr., who married Etna Lindsey Stafford. A bugler in World War I, Mr. Pompey was waiting to go over when the war ended and hence didn't see any action. A blessing for him, and for the world, that the Great War ended with the Armistice.
