November 11, 2024, is when Americans will celebrate Armistice Day, more commonly known as Veterans Day. The roots of this day date back to 1918, when the world was engulfed in a great war.
The Alliance of the United Kingdom, France and Russia was pitted against the Central powers comprised mainly of Germany, Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire. The United States exercised relative neutrality at the beginning of the conflict.
However, in April of 1917, President Wilson declared war on Germany. American troops landed in Europe to join the ranks of the Allied powers.By 1918, the war waged on, and U.S. soldiers faced a new threat to their lives. The Spanish Flu, first identified in U.S. military personnel in the spring of 1918, presented a challenge to the health and well-being of all the troops. At the time, there was no vaccine nor any kind of antibiotics to treat our American troops.
Unsanitary conditions in the trenches did not help. Dysentery, cholera and typhoid fever also spread. And yet, American soldiers fought through some of the worst conditions imaginable to preserve peace and harmony on the planet.
At the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month, an armistice agreement between the Allied powers and Germany went into effect, putting an end to World War I.
The United States sustained more than 320,000 casualties from the conflict, including over 53,000 Americans killed in combat. This number of American fatalities ranks as the third highest death total from a war in our country’s history, behind the American Civil War and World War II.
Additionally, 43,000 American soldiers died because of the Spanish Flu, which spread across battle lines affecting both allied and enemy forces.
Moreover, the psychological toll of the war caused great harm. Because the conflict forced troops to endure entrench warfare, many soldiers faced severe artillery bombardments. The intense shelling caused great emotional distress, and soldiers began to develop unusual psychological disorders that were labeled as “shell shock.” Those who suffered from “shell shock” could be admitted into a hospital to receive treatment and recover.
Over time, these injuries, more commonly known today […]
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