The Reluctant Warrior 100 Years Later

dougiedude · Aug 24, 2018

I want to apologize for my flippant humor above regarding the watch and those remarkable men and women risking their lives for our freedoms... super-cool watch, indeed!

gostang9 · Aug 25, 2018

UncleBuck
I picked up an old trench watch some time ago that many of you have seen.... but I cannot let this centennial anniversary date go unmentioned.

Thank for sharing such a wonderful post! Great to see a meaningful watch with back story. Much cooler than any “I saw watch ‘x’ on the street” post.

Fantastic that someone at the WWI museum was able to look up and share the records with you. Where is this museum? I’ve been to the WWII museum in NOLA several times but am not familiar with this one.

UncleBuck · Aug 25, 2018

gostang9
Where is this museum?

It's in Kansas City and has been expanded over the years. It's really well done.
They have a records/research library that was most helpful.

KC's Union Station is right across the street.

The only downer is realizing the slaughter and hell that was WWI.

flw · Aug 25, 2018

I've been to the WWI Museum several times - an astonishing place, with incredible exhibits and artifacts. Kansas City got the jump on the rest of the country in voting to establish the national WWI memorial around 1920 or so ... which is why it's not in DC.

What a great story behind a beautiful watch!

gostang9 · Jan 28, 2019

I happen to be in Salt Lake City Utah this week so why not bump this cool thread of the “reluctant warrior” from Salt Lake.

I’ve never served, and while I detest the thought of military action, I am always deeply moved by people who put their lives on the line for some greater purpose.

UncleBuck · Jan 29, 2019

gostang9
happen to be in Salt Lake City Utah

Let me know if you stumble across his military ervice records!
He entered so late I doubt if he made it to France, which was probably fine by him.

I have this thought that he was in New York awaiting deployment when the war ended.
I bought the watch from a NY pawn shop.

gostang9
I’ve never served

gostang9
always deeply moved by people who put their lives on the line

I served and am moved by those who experienced combat, those who fought are moved by those that gave more, wonder what the ones that gave all would say.

Edward53 · Jan 29, 2019

There's a very interesting and well-written document on the training of the US Army for WW1 (and WW2) here: https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a185226.pdf. From this, it seems unlikely that Albert was in France before the Armistice. His previous service might have been with the National Guard and thus wouldn't have been relevant to the war, so he would have had to retrain with the other recruits.

I was quite shocked to read in this document that 31% (!) of US Army deaths in WW1 were due to disease in training camps.

LanceSaintPaul · Jan 29, 2019

I was quite shocked to read in this document that 31% (!) of US Army deaths in WW1 were due to disease in training camps.[/QUOTE]

That's how my Great Uncle Clarence died - on the way to the Great War To End All Wars. Not by influenza, but by typhus I believe.

STANDY · Jan 29, 2019

L LanceSaintPaul
I was quite shocked to read in this document that 31% (!) of US Army deaths in WW1 were due to disease in training camps.

Spanish flu was the biggest killer. Mentioned below the effect on training camps (Easily spread by returning troops)

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_flu