Communication is Key

Posted on April 14, 2017 by Linda Andrews

Communication is key in war. And I don’t mean among the armed forces on both sides of the conflict. I refer to the soldiers and their families, between those behind enemy lines and those on the home front. Long before the days of email and text messages, there were letters and newspapers and the state sponsored postcard.

To keep the lines of communications open between families behind enemy lines and soldiers on the front lines in World War 1, to give hope to those in occupied Belgium and Northern France, brave men and women had to step forward. The Germans promised to deal with these couriers ‘severely.’ And records indicate that some were executed. But who were the leaders?

Legend has it that a priest set up a underground letter carrier service after one of his parishioners witnessed a courier trying to extort money from an old woman in exchange for a letter from her son. When the old woman couldn’t pay the outrageous fees, the letter was torn up in front of her eyes. When Father de Moor and Belgian businessman Van Doren set up their postal service letters were carried for free.

But that wasn’t the only lines of communications these two men opened.

Beginning in 1915, they along with an editor named Jourdain started an underground newspaper called La Libre Belgique (The Free Belgium). Despite offering a reward of 50,000 francs for their capture, the Germans remained ignorant of their identities. The paper ceased publication on the day King Alfred rode into Brussels in November, 1918.

More than news and ideas, these gentlemen and their cadre of workers delivered hope to a people in need of it. And hope is the most precious gift, especially in times of uncertainty.

Until next time.

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A Great Response to the Great War

Posted on April 12, 2017 by Linda Andrews

I grew up in an age of international aid. Any time a disaster happens in the world, the world comes to together to provide medical, food, and other supplies to those effected. Earthquakes in Haiti, Tsunamis in Japan and Indonesia, or Hurricanes in New York or New Orleans. The newspapers report on it and share information on how you can help.
Such was not always the case. For most of human history, charity began and ended at the home or village. Word didn’t spread about events thousands of miles away or if it did it took too long to affect any real relief. Aid societies revolved around churches and the needy in the community or missions to far off places. 
Then came wireless telegrams and telephones. News traveled from Europe to America in minutes not days or weeks. While shipping still took days, steamships no longer required months to cross the Atlantic. Food, blankets, and clothing could be sent from one place to another in real time.
And yet, it still took a terrible event for aid on an international scale to begin. It started when the Imperial German Army rolled into neutral Belgium. The Kaiser planned to use the amazing networks of railroads and canals to overrun France in 6 weeks. Instead, the Belgian Army resisted and weeks turned into months.
World War One had begun.
And with it, the second most populated nation in Western Civilization (Belgium) began to starve. The country imported over 75% of its food. Between the demands of the Kaiser’s Army and the British blockade, Belgium was predicted to run out of food by mid-October. Neutral emissaries were sent to buy food, but the British wouldn’t let the ships through the blockades and there were no guarantees the Germans wouldn’t requisition it.
Enter the neutral countries of Spain, America, and Holland, a young mining engineer named Herbert Hoover and the Commission for Relief in Belgium was founded. With the guarantees of the consulates of Spain, America, and Holland behind it, the Commission was able to pass the blockades and secure guarantees from the occupying Army. 
Mr. Hoover kept the plight of the Belgians in the newspapers, forcing both the German and English governments to keep the Commission in operation through public pressure. While the funding for the food came primarily from England, France, and Belgium, there were a series of Christmas Ships whose cargo was donated by the people of the world from New Zealand and Australia, England, Canada to the United States. 
Nine million people were fed and clothed in Belgium and Northern France during the Commission’s operation during World War 1. But the work these pioneers laid continues to be the foundation many international aid organizations rest upon today.

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Once We were United

Posted on April 10, 2017 by Linda Andrews

In 1917 when U.S. President Woodrow Wilson declared war on Germany, the entire nation went to war. Families didn’t just send their sons and daughters overseas, they too were expected to make sacrifices. None other than Herbert Hoover (future president) was in charge of making certain the soldiers and sailors had enough food by making families conserve. His plan was simple—give up one thing per day of the week to help the war effort and bore his name, Hooverizing.
There were Wheatless Mondays (corn meal was substituted)

Meatless Tuesdays (beans and fish were substituted)

Porkless Saturdays (beans and fish were substituted)

Heatless days to conserve coal (needed to power the steamships carrying troops and supplies overseas)

Legal holidays every Monday during the winter to conserve coal

Industrial shutdowns to conserve coal.

And the introduction of Daylight Savings Time to allow work to be done during normal daylight hours.

Woman in large cities were sent to pick over rotted produce to save what could be saved and canned for troop use. These volunteers rescued millions of tons of produce and received extra rations for their families for their work. 
Land Armies were created in every available lot to grow produce and we saw the rise to the Victory Gardens usually associated with World War 2. Families sent jars of grease collected from their kitchens for the war effort. Every association banded together to create comfort bags and donate goods to relief efforts. 
The efforts were enough to turn the tide of a war that had been stalemated for years and bring an end to the suffering of peoples on both sides of the conflict. So as we look back at the centennial, take a moment to be thankful for those whose sacrifices have been mostly forgotten and remember that when humanity stands united, anything is possible.

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Going from Here to Over There

Posted on April 7, 2017 by Linda Andrews

On the groups I belong to, I often see the question if American troops in World War 1 really mattered.

The short answer is yes.

When the US entered the war, the allies believed the battles would continue to rage for another 10 years. Thankfully, that wasn’t the case. And America’s entrance was a major factor in how quickly the ending came.

But not the only factor.

After the disastrous results of the Chemin des Dames led to mutinies in the French Army (271,000 French casualties in 12 days with no ground gained). The French declared they would hold the line but not advance. General Petain returned to oversee the Army and after certain incentives (longer leave) and some executions, restored order.

The October Revolution that turned Russia into the Soviet Union meant that Germany could now bring experienced soldiers from the Eastern Front to the Western Front. The Spring Offensive had to take place before the US landed its millions of soldiers and shored up its supply lines. Germany threw its best at the Allies but couldn’t break through. They lost nearly 1 million men in 6 months, a loss they couldn’t make up with their reserves. To complicate matters, the family at home was starving and unrest with a possible Communist revolution divided the soldiers’ attention.

But the British were worse off. Their casualties approached half a million. And they had no reserves. None. Food shortages were rampant at home. Strikes were common.

By August 2018, 1-2 million American troops were in France. The Allies consolidated leadership and began to act as one force.

Of course, the British did have an ace up their sleeve. They invented a tank that could cross the trenches, protecting the men following behind it. The German’s couldn’t build enough tanks to stop the advantage the British had gained. Interesting facts about tanks: the word comes from the code name given to those who worked on the top secret project. They were told, they were building water tanks. And, lastly, the idea for a tank came from HG Wells’ The Land Ironclads.

Until next time

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Before the Flood, there was a trickle

Posted on April 5, 2017 by Linda Andrews

Just because the US declared war in 1917 didn’t mean we were able to send millions of troops to the front within months.

And just because the US had declared its neutrality in 1914, didn’t mean there weren’t Americans in the mix. A few crossed into Canada or used family connections in Britian to join Kitchener’s army. 

Others, for religious reasons, wanted to contribute but were pacifists. These men of good family and good education (it was a requirement for the job) signed up to drive ambulances, and they brought their cars along as well. On the outbreak of the war, men were carried from the front by stretcher bearers to the clearing stations up to 3 miles away. Some carried the wounded on mules or wagons to speed up the process. But the Americans drove their vehicles to the edge of the lines and soon this practice became standard. It was a small change, but the effect is staggering. Original estimates put the casualty rates at 30%, but the invention of triage and moving the vehicles so close to the front cut that rate to 10%. Think of the carnage. Ten million dead at the end of the war could easily have been 30 million. 

While the British refused most American offers of assistance (even refusing offers of Tin Lizzie’s in favor of English Wolseleys), the French and Belgians (speaking primarily about the Western Front) accepted the offers. American Ambulance companies were associated with the French Army (Automobile service) but the drivers weren’t given ranks. 

American women doctors also pitched in to help. They opened American Wome’s Hospitals in France all from private funding. Some treated wounded (which they had to pick up and deliver to their hospitals) but they also treated the citizens, primarily women and children who’d be deprived of medical care as the governments supported their soldiers. Others worked with the Queen of the Belgians to open hospitals that treated the soldiers wounded in Flanders.

Neither was the American military sitting idly by.  Thinking ahead to a time when the US might have to enter to European fray, they opened military hospitals in France with the second one being opened in February 1915. 

Americans also contributed something else. We are a nation of immigrants, and when the call of war sounded, many immigrants rushed home to answer. In one case a ship of 800 men headed for Germany on a neutral ship. The French intercepted it, forced it to dock and unloaded all aboard. Those German immigrants were sent to Devil’s Island for the wars duration. Those with American citizenship papers were allowed to return. In all only a dozen men returned.

Until next time

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Why We Went

Posted on April 3, 2017 by Linda Andrews

This month marks the 100th Anniversary of the United States into the First World War. So I thought I’d devote the month to the nuggets I discovered while researching WW1 for my Love’s Great War series.

President Wilson had ran on a platform to keep the US out of the European War. After all, he ran a nation of immigrants. The US population had just as many hyphenated Americans of German descent as it did of English origins. And those progeny of the Irish refugees of the Potato Famine were decidedly not pro-British. 

Indeed during the outbreak of hostilities, many newspapers were actually pro-German. Think about that for a moment. If the US had entered on Germany’s side the world today would be a very different place. Even the famous journalist Nelly Bly favored the Central Powers and traveled to Germany to report on the war from the Kaiser’s perspective.

America’s delayed entry changed the public’s leanings and eventually we entered on the side of the Allies. Generally, there are 3 main reasons for declaring war on Germany on 12 April 1917:

The sinking of the RMS Lusitania on May 1st 1915 by German U-boats killed 185 Americans and effectively turned many in the US against Germany. Her practice of unrestricted warfare had already ruffled feathers in the US and the Germans had suspended the practice for a time, but eventually restarted it. Germany acknowledged that she hadn’t fired a warning shot (given advances in countermeasures this risked the chances of the U-boat being sunk) in violation of Cruiser Rules. However, she also stated the British were using civilian vessels to transport munitions. And in fact the mysterious internal explosion that occurred, sinking the vessel in 18 minutes and killing over a thousand passengers seemed to confirm this. Britian maintained there was no ordnance aboard until the 1980s when the government admitted the ship would not be raised because of the danger of munitions. FMI

The Zimmerman telegram. Back in January 1917, the German foreign office sent a telegram offering Mexico the return of Texas, Arizona and New Mexico if it would join them and fight the US should she entered the war on the side of the allies. The telegram’s authenticity was confirmed by the German Foreign secretary Zimmerman in March after the British decoded the message and gave it to Wilson. 

The first two are fairly well known, but there was a third piece of the puzzle. Mid-March in 1917, German U-Boats sank the City of Memphis, Illinois, and Valencia (Vigilancia). These were American merchant and passenger liners.  Both the Memphis and Illinois received warning, but not so the Valencia. Newspapers reported it was from the sinking of these three ships that President Wilson called a special session of Congress when war was declared. FMI

Until next time.

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One Shoe Wonder

Posted on March 31, 2017 by Linda Andrews

It’s one of those days. Sure, it’s Friday but everything just feels a little off.

For instance, today on our morning walk I noticed a single shoe near the play area. It was a strap on sandal from a toddler. I remember those hectic days. Lots of things got forgotten. But you’d think a missing shoe would be noticed when the kid was strapped into their stroller or car seat. Still, extenuating circumstances could explain the oversight.

So I placed it on the bench closest to the toddler-sized equipment and walked on.

Only to find another shoe. Not the match of the other one, but a different one. From a larger child. The ballet flat looked like it had been walked out of while the kid was being dragged to the car.

I set it on the bench near the sandal.

Part of me thought about hanging them from the branches of the tree shading the swingset. A shoe tree, sure to be noticed if the family returned and high enough so someone wouldn’t throw it away or knock it to the ground so they could sit, diminishing the chance of the shoe ever returning to its owner.

I’ll do this for shoes, but not for socks. Yes, I’ve seen socks also in singlets. But this could be where all the socks that disappear from the dryer go. Dryers spin, right? That could be a vortex to freedom and bam they’re at a park.

Yep, it’s going to be one of those days. But, hey, the weekend will be here soon. Make it a good one.

Until next time!

 

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Fast Food From Home

Posted on March 29, 2017 by Linda Andrews

It’s almost that time of year—summertime, when the kitchen is too hot to cook and yet, going out to eat is boring, not to mention unhealthy for the wallet.

I have my go to meals for when things are busy and time is better spent out of the kitchen. They are the ubiquitous frozen pizza, but also include shrimp Po’ boys, steak, mushroom, and onion sandwiches, taco salad, chili dogs, fajitas, and alfredo sauce over spaghetti.

Always available are grilled cheese and tomato soup, broccoli and cheddar soup, tuna fish and Frito sandwiches, and crab meat or shrimp on a salad with warmed up bread.

But lately, I’ve grown bored with the usual suspects and need some alternatives.

Something that isn’t a sandwich. Soup is out because I’m the only one who appreciates it as a stand alone meal.

So what does that leave?

Guess, it’s time to crack open a few more cookbooks. Or maybe check out Jacques Pepin’s Fast Food My Way from the library.

Any suggestions?

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They Laughed

Posted on March 27, 2017 by Linda Andrews

I have several addictions. Books being the biggest, but crafts come in a close second. I blame the problem on my first job working for Michaels. There was so much to do, so many things to try.

This month’s obsession is beading and working with wire.

I sort all my projects by keeping them in the boxes and bags they arrived in. Apparently, this drives my mom nuts. And my youngest started mocking me (she is my child, after all).

In retaliation, I decided to show them and organize my supplies. 

I should probably have done this sooner as I have several doubles. Still, here is the end result:


My mom’s painting is beside it. She used that as Christmas card one year. And yes, those are books in the background. 

Until next time.

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Getting Around

Posted on March 22, 2017 by Linda Andrews

My dog is getting old. Sure, he tries to keep up with the young pups, but there tends to be consequences. He’s part German shepherd and we all know the hip issues they have. Oddly, he’s okay in the back hips, but he had arthritis really bad in his front shoulder.

So much so, that after watching our grand doggies, he wasn’t able to make it through the park. In fact, he stopped walking about 1/4 of the way through.

After two days of the hubbinator walking home and coming back with the car to chauffeur him home, we decided to do two things.

First, was his morning walks were cut in about 1/3.

Second, we bought a wagon big enough to hold him. To be fair, we can use the cart for other things, especially in our backyard garden. But mostly, we planned to use it  to haul the dog the rest of the walk, so he still got his outdoor time.

Unfortunately, the dog has other ideas.

On the first night out, we made it roughly halfway around the park before lifting him up and putting him into the wagon.

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Apparently, he couldn’t even look at me, he was so humiliated.

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We got him sitting down then took off. About halfway across the park, he pushed out, butt first, then rolled onto the grass and started walking again. He was quite proud of himself. Until we reached the exit of the park and was limping so badly he had to go into the cart again.

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This time, he made it to the last block then planned to go over the side and jump out. Instead, we stopped and helped him out the back again, making sure he didn’t fall.

The next day, he made it all the way around the park. Same with the following day. Apparently, the dog has no intention of using the wagon. EVER.

 

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