Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1922-11-09

The accompanying letter telling of
the day was received by The Pilot:
Wausau. Wis, Nov. Z, 1922.
Editor Wausau Pilot:
Saturday, November the eleventh,
will be Armistice day, and to those of
us who were permitted to take part
in the events which led up to it,
fitting observance of that day will be
greatly welcomed. The country owes
it to those who gave their lives that
democracy might live, and in the
near future we hope that the celebra-
ton will be as general as Memorial
day, and it will when the people re-
alize what the day means. AT pres
ent they are still in a daze, not re-
alizing that their son, brother or dear
friend was on the brink of a soldiers
grave when the armistice silenced the
booming guns and the cracking rifles,
bringing peace to the warning ma
tions.
The armistice was signed at about
five o'clock in the morning and was
to take effect on the eleventh hour.
There was no marked change on that
morning, except perhaps that the fire
was a trit1e heavier. Nothing to mark
the great event which was to take
place within a few short hours. Or
ders were received and dispatched as
usual, companies, battalions and regi-
ments were brought up to the lines
ana everything was made ready for
the attack. The rifles cracked vic
iously, and the bullets found many a
mark Ten O'Clock, and the "75's"
ha r. Nf Al
heels of their quarry The rat-tat-tat
of the machine guns along the line
made one imagine he was in the midst
OF vast typewriter plant. Ten-thir-
ty-no change. Commands in differ
ent parts of the line indicated that an
attack was to be made Ten-forty-five
the guns began to rumble and roar,
the rifles to snap, and soon every in
strument of warfare was in action.
The noise was deafening, branches
falling, earth being upturned, and it
seemed as though all hell broke loose.
-fifty-nine, men falling, some to
rise again, some not, and the she'll
fire doubling in intensity, if possible.
Eleven o'clock-one long blast of the
big guns, little guns and great guns,
then-wonder of wonders! The re-
ports died away in the distance, echo
ing back and forth through the ra-
vines and woods, and finally the last
whisper echoed from the hills, and
then silence, and the greatest war of
history was memory
This is what we are going to cele-
brate Saturday. At eleven lo'clock
there will be divine services to honor
our dead. Yet, while we do honor to
our dead, let us forget our petty jeal-
ousies, let's not honor our own at the
expense Of the others. Let's honor.
not the soldier dead of Wausau. of
the county, or of the state, but let's
honor the SOLDIER DEAD. And
while we are kneeling with bowed
heads, whispering words of gratitude
to Him who made victory possible.
let's not forget our fallen comrades
across the water. On that day
throughout France, tiny hands will
De twlning wreathes from the poppy,
which we have come to know and love
SO well. Baby tears will silently steal
down the little cheeks as their hands
gently and lovingly smoothe the
mound under which sleeps their dad
dy They loved him and brother.
even as yours and mine do you and /.
SO in thanking the Almighty for the
blessings showered upon us, don't
forget to whisper word of comfort
for the little ones across the sea.
Let's all turn out and make this
day such success that we will take
it as matter of course. next year.
CLAUDE r. ROBERTS,
p. c., Burns Post,
Veterans of Eoraior VIZ 49,.