My great uncle was in the Canadian Army and suffered from phosgene gas attack during WW1-I think sometime around the Battle of Somme. I met him in the early 1960's and his vocal cords were still impacted by the gas damage. He wouldn't talk about the war except to say it was unbelievably horrible. He died in 1967.
@Sodnal Wow, thanks for sharing about your uncle. I know many who survived gas attacks had permanent damage from it. I hope he at least felt like his service was appreciated.
@aMarinedaughter thanks for your kind comments. He didn't begrudge his service to the Allied cause, but condemned war in general. The appalling conditions in trench warfare in 1917 can only be imagined by us today. He didn't want to dredge up those old memories, I suppose. Take care.
@Sodnal It is very common for war vets to not want to talk about it. If they do talk about it, it is often 50+ years later. My dad has said very little about his time in Vietnam. It doesn't help that most of the people here at home have no understanding about it. That was probably even more so in WWI, when the only movie film didn't really give viewers much idea of what it was like.
There are some vets from ww1 that I know and still alive a lot of people think that there all dead but there still a lot of them alive still. How many will shock many folks out there.
The actual fighting is only part of the hell of war. The conditions they have to live in are often just as hellish. In this case, the conditions were created by men, for other men to have to live in. The trenches not only required them to live in mud, but meant that many of the men got horrendous facial wounds, when they tried to look up and see what was going on outside of the trench. I wish I had taken an interest in WWI when I was young, while there were still veterans of it alive.
@aMarinedaughter The image of mud is actually not entirely accurate - for example, the Somme was fought in the height of summer (at least the opening parts of the battle) and it was very, very hot. The reference to facial wounds is a bit odd, given that these represented a minute fraction of all wounds - most were caused by explosions, machine guns fire, illness etc.
@THthefirst I wasn't suggesting that any particular percentage of the men lived in mud or had facial wounds, but those things did exist, and that they were far from uncommon, especially not the mud. It rains in the summer, too. I know that the majority did not have facial wounds, but certainly enough to be worthy of remembrance, here, which is what I was trying to do by mentioning it.
@aMarinedaughter Sure, I understand that, but I think the point e.g. about mud is an important one because as I say, it was so hot on 1 July that many wounded men were begging for water/died of exposure in the heat.
THE SPANISH FLU KILLED MORE THAN ALL OF WORLD WAR 1 CASUALTIES PUT TOGETHER :O
punkyprincessful 1 day ago
My great uncle was in the Canadian Army and suffered from phosgene gas attack during WW1-I think sometime around the Battle of Somme. I met him in the early 1960's and his vocal cords were still impacted by the gas damage. He wouldn't talk about the war except to say it was unbelievably horrible. He died in 1967.
Sodnal 2 months ago
@Sodnal Wow, thanks for sharing about your uncle. I know many who survived gas attacks had permanent damage from it. I hope he at least felt like his service was appreciated.
aMarinedaughter 2 months ago
@aMarinedaughter thanks for your kind comments. He didn't begrudge his service to the Allied cause, but condemned war in general. The appalling conditions in trench warfare in 1917 can only be imagined by us today. He didn't want to dredge up those old memories, I suppose. Take care.
Sodnal 1 month ago
@Sodnal It is very common for war vets to not want to talk about it. If they do talk about it, it is often 50+ years later. My dad has said very little about his time in Vietnam. It doesn't help that most of the people here at home have no understanding about it. That was probably even more so in WWI, when the only movie film didn't really give viewers much idea of what it was like.
aMarinedaughter 1 month ago
Comment removed
sylviebeans 3 months ago
SOMEONES DAD, SON, UNCLE, HUSBAND..RIP TO ALL YOU MEN!
electricdixie34 3 months ago
There are some vets from ww1 that I know and still alive a lot of people think that there all dead but there still a lot of them alive still. How many will shock many folks out there.
historyfathead 3 months ago
isnt this song from naruto...
silentswan12 4 months ago
..and yet we keep doing it.. over and over again... slow learners aren't we?
lollyclan 4 months ago
@lollyclan Very slow learners. Part of the problem is that normally those who 'authorise' war are furthest from the mud and bullets.
Most wars are about 'ownership' and resources.
harryfaber 4 months ago
@lollyclan Those who dont learn history are doomed to repeat it, We are the next generation. Lets make some changes.
117piehitman 2 months ago
@117piehitman Yes, I agree 100% with you. Peace and Love and Tolerance - please everyone??
lollyclan 2 months ago
The actual fighting is only part of the hell of war. The conditions they have to live in are often just as hellish. In this case, the conditions were created by men, for other men to have to live in. The trenches not only required them to live in mud, but meant that many of the men got horrendous facial wounds, when they tried to look up and see what was going on outside of the trench. I wish I had taken an interest in WWI when I was young, while there were still veterans of it alive.
aMarinedaughter 6 months ago 6
@aMarinedaughter
wow thats was so deep, that came from the heart.
starman60200 6 months ago
@aMarinedaughter The image of mud is actually not entirely accurate - for example, the Somme was fought in the height of summer (at least the opening parts of the battle) and it was very, very hot. The reference to facial wounds is a bit odd, given that these represented a minute fraction of all wounds - most were caused by explosions, machine guns fire, illness etc.
THthefirst 2 months ago
@THthefirst I wasn't suggesting that any particular percentage of the men lived in mud or had facial wounds, but those things did exist, and that they were far from uncommon, especially not the mud. It rains in the summer, too. I know that the majority did not have facial wounds, but certainly enough to be worthy of remembrance, here, which is what I was trying to do by mentioning it.
aMarinedaughter 2 months ago
@aMarinedaughter Sure, I understand that, but I think the point e.g. about mud is an important one because as I say, it was so hot on 1 July that many wounded men were begging for water/died of exposure in the heat.
THthefirst 2 months ago
yeah well victory is not achieved with out sacrifice
MrJoc2000 11 months ago
their is no victory in war just casualties an fear."- from a diary at vimy ridge
KAGDAIS 1 year ago 2
God bless the Dead Sons of the Fatherland who Protect and Serve the peace of Heavens.
shittiger 1 year ago
god bless young men who died in bloodiest war in history that is my opinion
loveaction12 1 year ago
0:51 is soviet soldiers from ww2
TsarKaiserSir 2 years ago
@TsarKaiserSir Ya but still we need to remember all soldiers that fought in all wars... just or unjust
WWIIairsoftColorado 1 year ago