The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1939-1949, 1943-11-11
Is Years Ago Today First
World War Ended; Local
Veterans Recall the Duy

signed and the war ceased at IL
o'clock on the 18th day of the 18th
Kennewick residents,
along with those of every city and
town in the nation-indeed in the
world-threw their hats into the
air, hollered and whooped it up
the day. Many resi-
dents still remember that day.
They also remember the real
which occurred two
days earlier, when somehow word
got out that the armistice had
been signed on the ninth. Word
came over the Western Union
and whistles, bells and
any and everything which would
make a niose, was used to show
the happiness at the wars end.
All business ceased and happy
throngs paraded up and down the
streets, singing, dancing, making
noise. Ordinarily staid, sober cit
liens managed to secure intoxi-
cating beverages, even though the
Volstead Act was in effect and
many were the headaches the fol-
lowing day.
Today-25 years later, we are
just at the threshold of the wars
most serious advances. After
two years of feverish preparation,
the United Nations are about
ready to put their men and equip
ment into the big final push to fl
nally down the british foes. It's
a matter of minutes, hours, days,
weeks or months at most. when
the worlds mightiest battles will
be fought. The decisions will be
momentous. Instead of hilarity,
the day will be marked with APP
prehension-waiting for the big
push which will inevitably mean
frightening casualty lists for
every town and village in the
land.
There will be no parades in
KenneWick. No flags will be
flown; no church bells rung; no
whistles blown Business will
cease and for the most part citi-
yes will spend the day in quietude.
Some of the local veterans We're
asked today if they remembered
the day Is years ago. Rev. John
Coan, then a chaplain in the 18th
Division stationed at Camp Lewis,
said he well remembered the day.
His outfit was loaded aboard the
train, ready for the trip across
when the word was received. He
said for about three weeks that
was the bluest outfit in the world
since the rumor got
they would be sent as an
army of occupation to Siberia.
Paul Richmond was in the in
fantry. On the 18th of November
he was in a hospital in Birming-
ham, England, after having been
wounded in the Argonne. The
word was received, he said, that
and he was to enjoy his
first leave from the hospital
from 10 to IL in the morning. He
got in at 2 am. He and couple
of buddies started to town. On
the way they met group Of about
so women, apparently workers in
a nearby factory. They were sing
ing and dancing in the streets hav-
a hilarious time. Lead by an
elderly woman, the group formed
a ring around the Yanks and sang
and danced around them. Then
they said "Come and have a
drink. We know you drink, for
there never was a Yank that did
not" So the boys helped with
consumption of smut brown ale."
Discussion after led to the dis
covery that the elderly woman
ring leader in the fun had then
lost her seven sons in battle. The
there lasted three
days, Richmond says, and he dis
that the British people, in
spite of all American critics are a
fortnight people, taking each
days experiences as they come
with no brooding over the past.
Richmond confesses that he has a
great admiration for them as Ia
people although he found many
things about them to dislike.
Paul Stone didn't even know
for several days after the 18th
that there had been an armistice.
He was taking officers training in
France and was stationed near
the French town of Langlies, in a
barracks built by Napoleon. There
at II o'clock, he and his buddies
were in the moat surrounding the
town taking target practice. 1t
wasn't for two or three days later
that they learned that the Huns
had quit.
G. A. Purdy recalls that he was
in hospital on the 18th and was
so sick that he really didn't care
whether the war went on or not.
He was in an American hospital
big enough to care for 5000
casualties, built out on a plain,
removed from any village. He
had taken part in the battle Of the
caught a cold which had
turned into bronchitis. In the af-
ternoon of the 18th the doctor re-
marked as he came through the
ward that the war was all over,
but the boys were too sick to care,
Purdy says.
Larry Oliver was with the mar
ines and was stationed in San
Louisa, Cuba, when the armistice
was declared. That didn't make
much difference down there, Lar
ry says, for the Cubans were hav-
ing their own little wars now and