Long Shadow: WWI, The Great War, The War to End All Wars

100th Anniversary Memorial. Langemark, Belgium.
WWI remembrance ceremonies are taking place across Europe from 2014 through
2018. In the United States events will peak during the fall of 2018.
Photo by Chris Monroe

25 April, 2018
Detroit, MI, USA

Tyne Cot Commonwealth Cemetery. Passendale, Belgium
Tyne Cot is the resting place of 11,965 soldiers from the British
commonwealth forces in WWI.
Photo by Chris Monroe

Depending on what country you are in, the First World War goes by different names. In Great Britain it is known as The Great War. In the United States it is called World War One. In literary expression it is often called The War to End All Wars. Regardless of what we call it, the reality is that it's horrors and legacy seem long forgotten on modern American society. But why? The war involved 135 countries, resulting in 15 million deaths and more than 30 million wounded across military and civilian populations.  Fighting raged across not just Europe, but even stretched across Africa and Asia. Here I will explore (from an American perspective) why I believe this conflict is forgotten in American minds and why it is critical that we start to remember it along with other historical conflicts.

The United States is a country of excess and superlatives. We all "need" the biggest cars. We always "need" our own house with its own yard. Our claims for "need" are often luxuries others nations consider excess. In my opinion, this is similar to the American psyche as it relates to war as well. We recall with ease the American Civil War because of the 600,000 killed and the legendary participants whose names are drilled into us at a young age. We remember World War Two and Vietnam because of the blockbuster movies that came of their stories. And we remember Iraq and Afghanistan because it has become America's longest armed conflict. It is current and comes with a tremendous amount of raw video footage to recall at a moments notice via YouTube and other streaming outlets.

But what about World War I? Can you recall the names of any famous battles or campaigns? Can you name any famous Soldiers who are memorialized for their heroics? Can you name any movies that recall famous scenes on battlefields of glory?

The years 2017 and 2018 represent the 100th anniversary of American involvement in WWI. While the world was at war from 1914 through 1918, American involvement in the conflict came far later, and for a relatively brief period of time. Officially the United States was involved from April 1917 until November 1918. But in reality, Americans were only in combat for seven and a half months. Amassing 110,000 deaths in this short period, the American forces lost an average of 482 soldiers per day.

Yorkshire Trench, Ypres, Belgium
There were more than 25,000 trenches throughout Europe, more
than the circumference of the entire earth.
Photo by Chris Monroe

So why do we not recall this war the same way we recall other major armed conflicts? First, the video footage from this time is primitive. Most of the footage does not follow the same script that we see from WW2 footage, or modern footage from Vietnam with GI's waving to the camera or helicopters flying overhead. It is very grainy and hard to follow as most clips last only a matter of seconds. In fact, very little footage of Americans in combat actually exists. The majority of footage is from British and German photographers who were embedded on the front lines.

Secondly, Americans did not cling to names from World War I the same way they did in World War II; General Pershing being the most obvious exception to this. Military aficionados like myself probably recognize plenty names but we probably cannot list the accomplishments like we could do for Patton or Bradley. But names of a group like The Harlem Hellfighters, an all-black National Guard unit deserve to have their stories told just as much as the Tuskegee Airmen, General Patton, Band of Brothers, or others immortalized in WWII silver screen features.

Lastly, I believe World War I gets lost in the mix because it is not "an American war." As much as we want to believe that we came in, kicked ass, and won the war, this is just not the case. Whereas America was attacked at Peal Harbor pulling us in to WWII, just as the attacks on September 11, 2001 dragged us in to a prolonged war in Afghanistan and Iraq, WWI does not have that same sort of clearly defined call to arms for Americans.

"It may seem like a word game, but renaming The Great War as The First World War changed it's meaning. Officially highlighting the sense that 1914-18 had been a failed attempt to end war." -David Reynolds, The Long Shadow

Montfaucon American Monument. Montfaucon-d'Argonne, France
Montfaucon American Monument towers over the ruins of the town of the same name.
The town was so completely destroyed by American artillery that it was not rebuilt.
Photo by Chris Monroe

It is imperative that we do not forget about World War I here in America. The events that took place across the world from 1914 to 1918 not only changed the course of history for the lands the battles were fought in, but they laid the groundwork for World War II, The Cold War, and complicated international diplomacy that is still active on a global scale to this very day. It is the singular event responsible for our modern global system of treaties and alliances that attempt to maintain a very fragile peace.

As the world continues their commemoration of WWI, remembering it by whatever term is commonplace in that part of the world, I will look back at the war and the battlefields I have visited over the last 3 years and write a bit about my thoughts formed by emotional visits to the battlefields and cemeteries that dot the European landscape. I believe the stories of honor, valor, and horror should be told. We must keep the memories of this nearly-forgotten war alive in order to honor the millions buried around the world.

Somme American Cemetery. Bony France. 

Somme American Cemetery is the final resting place of 1,844 Americans killed in battle

in the surrounding area. 30,996 Americans killed in action and 4,457 missing in action from

World War I are interred or memorialized in cemeteries across Europe. 

Video by Chris Monroe

"We cant just feel The Great War as a piece of poetry or a stark morality play. We need to understand it's history. A history that cast long shadows over the years that followed." -David Reynolds, The Long Shadow

Chris Monroe

NOTE:
The Long Shadow: The Legacies of The Great War in the Twentieth Century is a book and documentary film series from British historian David Reynolds.  It explores World War One's impact on the world from the events of the war all the way through the present day. It is available in book form on Amazon and in video form on Netflix.

Brookwood: Familial Connection and Personal Revelation

21 March 2017
Vilseck, Germany

Since returning to Germany and the rigors of everyday work at the end of my battlefield tour in December, I have been working to focus on what is next. I have quite a few big ideas where to go in my search for stories and understanding as it relates to the battlefields of Europe and their influence on our world today. I am still developing these into research opportunities and travel adventures. In January I took my family to England. I had previously traveled to London for the typical sightseeing adventure. This trip evolved into something much more though...it became personal.

My mother in law is a native of Canada. She never met her uncle. He was a member of the Canadian forces fighting for the British Commonwealth, who was killed by a German bomb during the Battle of Britain during World War II. His story has been passed down through the family and made its way to Julie and myself. The American concept of a burial "on home soil" is something to which most countries cannot relate. In fact it was not until the conflict in Korea that it became standards for American Soldier Dead to be returned home. For the rest of the world, it is more recent-- less than 40 years. My mother in law tells me that it was a point of sadness for her family that her uncle was not afforded a return to Canada. This is something that I will explore extensively in a later post.

When Julie and I began planning our trip to London we looked up the location where Vincent Voakes was killed. That precise location is now the edge of the 4th fairway of a local golf club. In fact there is a monument at that location. Instead we chose to visit the cemetery where he is buried, not far from the golf course. We realized that a train ticket and a quick 30 minute train ride was all it would take to pay our respects.

We left Waterloo Station in London and 30 minutes later we arrived at Brookwood. Immediately out of the train depot was a civilian cemetery. There was quite a bit of wealth on display with ornate design and sculptures adorning rather unique burial plots. Adjacent to the civilian cemetery is the Brookwood American Cemetery.

Flagpole at Brookwood American Cemetery
in Brookwood, England.

Most American Battle Monument Commission cemeteries are located in isolated areas away from cities or other developments. In this case, the location between the British civilian cemetery and the Commonwealth cemetery seemed quite appropriate, given the exceptionally close ties that bind our nations and ideals.

The graves are laid out in 4 geographically symmetrical plots with a flag pole in the middle and a chapel at the front. There are 468 burial plots at Brookwood American Cemetery. These are Soldier Dead of World War I; primarily losses in the North Atlantic. Inscribed on the walls inside the chapel are the names of 563 Missing in Action. The number of missing is a higher proportion because many lost in transport ships were trapped inside when they sank and they were never recovered.

The small but inviting chapel provides a great
location for reflection and prayers. The stained
glass windows light the flags of allied nations.

This is the second smallest of the American cemeteries I have visited in Europe. It is similar in size to Flanders Field American Cemetery in Belgium. But the small size seems to makes it more special, in my opinion. I find great comfort in knowing that though not a tourist attraction like Normandy or Luxembourg, these Americans lie together in eternal peace in a small corner of a friendly allied nation that will forever appreciate their sacrifices and care for them with the same care that they have for their own fallen.

Moving on from the American cemetery was the Brookwood Commonwealth Cemetery. The British military cemeteries are operated by the Commonwealth Graves Commission. They have a similar mission to the American Battle Monuments Commission, however they care for the graves of fallen service members from all nations that belonged to the British Empire. During World War I and II this included Canada, New Zealand, India, Australia and South Africa among many others. So Brookwood includes burials from all of these nations. I would imagine that to the British at the time it would not be much different than Americans from Texas and Michigan sharing a cemetery.

Brookwood Commonwealth Cemetery, England.

We proceeded to the informative visitor center that provided quite a bit of information about the history of the Cemetery, including commemoration of a visit by Queen Elizabeth II. We found a registry that noted the location of Vincent J. Voakes, Julie's great-uncle. We proceeded down the center aisle, the crackle of fresh winter snow providing a contrast to the otherwise silent January morning.

Amusingly, we actually stumbled upon his grave as we walked towards the front of the cemetery. I guess we expected a little bit of a search, but how quick it came up on us caught us off guard. He is buried right along the center mall and as we walked the name just popped off the stone marker.

Below you can use Google Maps to travel through Brookwood Cemetery. Vincent's grave to to the immediate bottom right.


We enjoyed a good discussion about the design and composition of the Commonwealth cemetery in
relation to the American cemeteries of WWI and WWII that we have frequented. They are all very special and each one provides a unique experience. It is a point of pride to visit these places and pay respects. As mentioned above, I have visited the graves of more than a million soldiers in the last few months. I will likely double that number in the near future. But the emotion is always the same. Pride in the sacrifice of my fellow countrymen, and our allies.

At the same time I have a certain respect when visiting the cemeteries of our (one time) enemies as well. After all they were soldiers just like I am. They may have even had families and small children too. They were following their orders that brought them into horrific conflict and eventual death. If I have learned anything during this experience, it is that there is a common thread that binds all soldiers whether by direct relation, marriage, or simply sharing the battlefield.

Thanks for reading!

Battlefield Sabbatical: My Basic Itinerary

This pyramid is the final resting place of more than 10,000 Soldiers from World War I, most of whom fell in the Champagne region, including the bunkers located next to this site.

I have received several messages asking me to sharing the itinerary of my Battlefield Sabbatical. The only problem is that I had to change my planned itinerary because of a random hospitalization that cut into the planned start of my trip. After losing the first day as it was planned, I was forced to change the order of visit to accommodate several planned meetings with people that oversee the operation of these locations and help as subject matter experts for tourists. Having a friend and local tour guide in the area of interest is always beneficial.

I have included links to the websites I used to research these sites. This is only a list of the major attractions that I stopped at during this trip. Along the way there were dozens of unofficial monuments, cemeteries, battlefields, and just plain cool looking things that I had to check out. I recommend every single one of these sites for your battlefield trip in Europe, as well as plenty that are not listed here. As always, if you need specific information please give me a shout.



DAY 1
- BASTOGNE WAR MUSEUM, BASTOGNE, BELGIUM
- BASTOGNE AMERICAN WAR MEMORIAL, BASTOGNE, BELGIUM
- BOIS DE JACQUES (101ST DIVISION MONUMENT AND FOXHOLES), FOY, BELGIUM
- ARDENNES AMERICAN CEMETERY, NEUPRE, BELGIUM

OVERNIGHT IN MAASTRICHT, NETHERLANDS

DAY 2
- HENRI-CHAPELLE AMERICAN CEMETERY, HOMBOURG, BELGIUM
- NETHERLANDS AMERICAN CEMETERY, MARGRATEN, NETHERLANDS
- MEETINGS WITH SOLDIERS AND HISTORIANS OF THE LOCAL BATTLES

OVERNIGHT IN LILLE, FRANCE

DAY 3
- FLANDERS FIELDS AMERICAN CEMETERY, WAREGEM, BELGIUM
- CANADIAN WAR MEMORIAL, ST JULIEN, BELGIUM
- GERMAN WAR CEMETERY, LANGEMARK, BELGIUM
- TYNE COT COMMONWEALTH CEMETERY, WEST VLAANEREN, BELGIUM
- YORKSHIRE TRENCH & DUG OUT, FLANDERS, BELGIUM
- IN FLANDERS FIELDS MUSEUM, YPRES, BELGIUM
- MEETINGS WITH LOCAL HISTORIANS OF THE LOCAL BATTLES

OVERNIGHT IN YPRES, BELGIUM

DAY 4
- AUDENARDE AMERICAN MONUMENT, OUDENARDE, BELGIUM
- IN FLANDERS FIELDS MUSERUM, YPRES, BELGIUM
- SOMME AMERICAN CEMETERY;, BONY, FRANCE
- AISNE-MARNE AMERICAN CEMETERY, BELLEAU, FRANCE
- BELLEAU WOOD AMERICAN MONUMENT, BELLEAU, FRANCE
- CHATEAU-THIERRY AMERICAN MONUMENT, CHATEAU-THIERRY, FRANCE
- OISE-AISNE AMERICAN CEMETERY, SERINGES-ET-NESLES, FRANCE

OVERNIGHT IN REIMS, FRANCE

DAY 5
- MONUMENT AUS MORTS DES ARMEES DE CHAMPAGNE, CHAMPAGNE, FRANCE
- MEUSE-ARGONNE AMERICAN CEMETERY, RAMAGE-SOUS-MONTFAUCON, FRANCE
- MONTFAUCON AMERICAN MONUMENT, MONTFAUCON, FRANCE

HOME

Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery is the largest American Cemetery in Europe, with over 14,000 graves.

Day 6: Conclusion--War Junkies

Memorial Chapel at Muse-Argonn American Cemetery in France.

2215 Local Time
VIlseck, Germany

Merry Christmas!

I am very happy to be home in Germany with my family. We enjoyed a quiet but fun Christmas Day together. After 5 days away doing some fantastic historical research and soul searching, I can say it was nice to be home with my family and sleep in my own bed. As much as I enjoyed exploring, this was a very emotional trip. It was informative and even relaxing spending hours on the road, but it was also emotionally exhausting.

WAR JUNKIES

I was not the only person on such a pilgrimage this last week. In fact several times I ran into the same people at various sites along the way. People from all over the world descend on Northern Europe to explore the World Wars. I am torn about this. I am glad that people are taking an interest in the World Wars of the 20th Century. At the same time sometimes I wonder if their motives are true. Am I a "war junkie?" I don't think so. I am looking for more than death and destruction of war.

When I see a group of school kids I understand that they are there because most likely they have no other choice. When I see a group of people there with cameras and notebooks such as myself taking notes and photos to document a place and a story, I know they are there to learn. However more than once I saw people this week in military cemeteries or memorials joking about the death and destruction around them. At one point in Foy, near Bastogne I witnessed American tourists jokingly doing "Nazi salutes" and mocking the events that took place in that area. Such jokes and bullshit is against the law in Germany. It's not a joke here, and it shouldn't be there either.  It's not funny. Approximately 40 million people died over two wars spanning ten years. That is not something to make jokes about.

I am torn because I want people to understand and appreciate the history around them. I never want a tourist to be turned off to the idea of learning. Also nothing makes me happier than seeing kids at play near a war memorial. It reminds me of the freedoms and ideals that were fought for in these wars. I just cant help but be disappointed by the large number of "junkies" that go out looking for the death and destruction without looking for the human scale stories that these wars contain. I know they are the exception and not the rule. This makes me feel a little more comfortable.

For my friends in Europe, I encourage you to explore the war history around you. It is the singular reason that you live here right now. It is relevant, important, and a continually evolving, living history. If you ever need a buddy who has been there, seen it, and understands how to manage such an experience, give me a shout. This one week battlefield tour was just the start for me. I have only scratched the surface of what the battlefields of Europe have to offer. From Flanders and Bastogne, Belgium to Verdun and Somme France, I experienced some history and destruction that was absolutely horrific. I also saw the beauty of humanity and the belief that good always triumphs over evil.  I learned some human scale stories that give me hope for the future. I met people that lived through World War II. People who saw with their own eyes the horrors of war, and the eternal hope for peace that carried them through the horrors of war to the relative peace of today.

I am in the business of war. When wars wage, I get to do my job. Nothing would make me happier than to be out of a job because there are no more wars to fight. The reality is that this will never happen. There will always be evil in this world, and therefore a need for people to bring justice upon the deserving. As was the motto at my old unit, B Co 1/23 Infantry, I believe in "Protect the Innocent; Punish the Deserving."  It is my sincere believe that the allied forces of World War I and World War II did this. I also hope that I brought to the few people that will read this, a small level of understanding and appreciation of those sacrifices.

Post Script
My mission is not yet complete. I am going to continue writing about my experiences in this blog space and sharing many of the stories that I learned. If you are still reading this blog then I believe you are interested in learning more. I will share all of my photos on Facebook over the coming week with captions and descriptions on every single photo. If you are not friends with my on Facebook and want to access the photos, please contact me through this blog.

-Chris Monroe
25 December, 2016

In this nondescript school building in Reims, France, the European Theater of World War Ended.