Category: Holidays

Armistice Day: The 11th Hour of the 11th Day of the 11th Month of 1918

[Update: Corrected factual error.]

Armistice Day was celebrated as an end to The Great War in Europe. Subsequently it was called “Veterans Day” in the United States in 1954. In Canada and most of the Commonwealth, it is observed as “Remembrance Day.”

Those decorated envelopes were sent by “Tid” Myers, my great grandfather, to his son, Pvt. Walter Myers, while Walter was stationed in France. I remember Uncle Walter as an almost blind old man whose hobby was amateur (HAM) radio.  I was too young to understand his hobby, and didn’t know enough about WWI to ask him what I’d ask him now. Uncle Walter passed on in 1978 and I never knew what he had gone through until decades later.

The following are transcripts of letters sent by Walter Myers to his parents.  He was in the U.S. Army Signal Corps in WWI.  The Signal Corps used balloons to survey the German trenches and movements, and was a very risky business.

The messages below are as is, without editing.
_________________________________________________

France, August 27, 1918

Dearest Mom and Dad,

Was under fire for the first time recently. No casualties. Believe me  you have never heard such an unearthly noise. Everything quiet then all of a sudden “Boom” s-h-h-h sh-sh-sh-sh. The boom is when the shell bursts and the “sh” sounds like the wind whistling through a crack. The “sh” is caused by flying splinters. The damned Dutch can’t hit a barn so we should worry. We have dugouts.

Sorry I can’t tell more. This may be cut out. I don’t think it will though because there is no information. I guess the Dutch remember shooting at us.  So this letter wouldn’t give them any “info.”

_________________________________________________

October 25, 1918
On the Front

Dear Mom and Dad:

Well, as per usual. A short ‘un. Have had some excitement lately but I get so darn used to excitement that it takes something more daring each time to satisfy me.  We lost another balloon the other day.  Burned by a boche airman. God knows but maybe our machine guns didn’t give him “H” but he got away with it. Our observers landed safe in their parachutes.

The Boche shelled us the other night and one shell landed about ten feet from your truly’s tent. Say, boy, you ought to have seen our gang high-tail it for the dugouts.  It was in the middle of the night and we all had to get out of bed but you didn’t see anybody in their under clothes for we never take our clothes off. I haven’t had my clothes off for about three weeks and Lord only knows when I got a bath last.  There is an old shell hole about ten feet from my  tent which is full of water and I am going to take a bath there if  I freeze my “arse” off.

You want to know if I “ever” had the cooties.  Well, I’ll tell you. I have ’em most of the time.  But they aint so worse after you have ’em  a while. I “kinda” got used to ’em.  We call the Boche, “Jerry.”

_________________________________________________

November 14, 1918
For the first time away from the front since July 5th.
In a camp, behind the lines.

Dear Mom and Dad:

Well, of all the wonderful things that could ever happen. The war is “won.”  As the French say, “Fini la Guerre.”  Every Frenchman we meet hollers, “Fini la Guerre, Merci!  Beaucoup.”  It means– the war is over, thank you many times.  We are sure some glad bunch.  I sure will have a lot of stuff to tell you when I return.  And that won’t be long.  We are now away from the front for the first time.  I just got rid of a bunch of cooties yesterday.  I hope that they will be the last, too.  They are sure the cause of one hell of a feeling.

Well, this is all for the present.  So long and hoping to see you soon.

Soldier Bill

_________________________________________________

[Update: The Philadelphia Intelligencer ran a story about the envelopes today, with more pictures.]

Perros Demonio del Día de los Muertos

[Found here. Related post here.]

Bunky’s Grumpkin 2010

I’m proud to say that my grumpkins make big dogs bark and little kids cry. Previous year’s grumpkins can be found here and here.

Sunday Matinee – All Hallow’s Eve: Tom Waits, Laundromat, Ella Fitzgerald, Freddie King

Tom Waits’ “Underground” is perfect for Halloween. Just like this one:

There’s a new tenant who moved into the suite next door to my office. None of us have seen anyone come or go, but they installed black opaque film on the windows. I hear a lot of drilling, odd thumps, walking around on the roof, and occasionally the sound of running water… true.

This guy’s got some spooky short vids. Here’s Fewdio’s “Laundromat.” [via]

Let’s lighten it up a bit with some Classic EllaScat.

Freddy King’s “Goin’ Down.”

Have a great Halloween, folks, and we’ll see you back here tomorrow.

Jungle Graffiti Lizard Man Costume

Unfortunately we misplaced the linky to this image, but it’s a good ‘un for those who are still looking for the perfect last minute Halloween costume. If one of these guys come knocking at your door tomorrow night, just say, “Here ya go, Bunk! Don’t eat me!” and empty the candy barrel into my rucksack. I’ll silently nod in thanks, and I’ll see to it that your tires aren’t flat on Monday morning.

(For those of you who were expecting The Saturday Matinee, it’s been postponed and will show up tomorrow on All Hallow’s Eve.)

Dress Sharp

Way beyond the Valley of Cool, and with all the necessary appurtenances in the background. The only real mystery is who they’re going Trick Or Treating as. I want to party with these guys.

[Found here.]

It’s Me Hot, Mon

Got yer Halloween costume picked out yet? No? Well here’s just the accoutrement for you, an inflatable tam, just like the ones popularized by real Rastafarians. One size fits most, so if you’re a fathead you can’t wear it, and anyone who wears one of these is by default a fathead. Rock steady, mon.

[Found here.]

It’s Shark Week? Okay. Here you go.

[Found here.]

Awesome Piñata

Someone’s got some very funny parents.

[Image found somewhere in here.]

Happy Independence Day

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed, by their Creator, with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.

That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object, evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.