Tuesday September 2, 1930

Josephine's Journey divided up the daily Josephine's Journey Post into two parts -- Part 1 covers the visits to the battlefields on the way to the cemetery; Part 2 covers day 2 at the cemetery.

Part 1 - The Battlefield Sights on the Way to the Cemetery

The escorts had the discretion to take different routes to the cemetery over the next two days in order to show the pilgrims more battlefields, shell holes, trenches, dug outs, and barbed wire entanglements over shell-torn and trench-covered dugouts.

So on today’s trip to Meuse-Argonne, the bus did took a different route, traveling a route that would pass the French monument of Fort de Doaumont, a memorial to those Frenchmen who gave theirs lives there. The pilgrims were told that 50,000 dead lie buried under the chapel, and they saw 50,000 little wooden crosses across the road.

On February 25, 1916, the Fort de Doaumont (1)(2) was entered and occupied without a fight by a small German raiding party comprising only 19 officers and 79 men. The Germans captured this fort by speaking French. The Germans held it only eight days after the Americans came. Lieut. Yarborough told the group that one of the American shells weighing 50 pounds accidentally went through a window, killing 1,200 men.

Note: Researching this on the Internet, the author of Josephine's Journey learned that Fort de Douamont was recaptured by three infantry divisions of the French Second Army on October 24, 1916.

The pilgrims were greeted by some French soldiers. They also saw a gruesome sight – body hunters coming with two-pronged forks. There were still 3,000 bodies to be found – twelve years after the end of the war.

The pilgrims next went by Bayonet Trench, (3)(4)(5) west of Fort Douaumont, where two French battalions were buried alive, their bayonets still protruding, still attached to their rifles. The soldiers were supposed to meet the Germans hand to hand. Instead, they had a surprise attack of heavy artillery. Their remains were not discovered until after the end of the war.

Almost everywhere the pilgrims went in France in 1930, they saw monuments to the war. A mother asked Lieut.Yarborough, “Why do they commemorate war?” Lieut.Yarborough replied, “They do not commemorate war, but instead those brave ones who gave their lives for humanity.”

The next point of interest was Varennes in the Argonne region. In a square plaza, flanked by two simple, dignified colonnades, is an altar signifying sacrifice. On the altar is a golden bronze urn with the inscription from one of President Wilson’s war proclamations, “The right is more precious than peace.” Also on this monument are the words, “In honor of the troops who served in the World War of 1917 and 1918, and who were liberators of Varennes.” (6)

Varennes is the village where King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were recognized by the postmaster when they tried to escape to Luxembourg. They were returned to Paris in captivity and were eventually executed on the guillotine.

Varennes is another French town that was completely destroyed during the war. (7) It was reconstructed afterwards. At this village on the morning of September 26, 1918, American soldiers of the 28th division captured German prisoners and confiscated their heavy artillery. On the same morning the little village of Cheppy was captured by the Missouri regiment of the 140th Infantry – 600 German prisoners were captured. This spot was especially meaningful to the Missouri and Pennsylvania mothers and widows because many of their sons fell at that spot.

The group saw a man having a hard time plowing a field. The military guide told them “this was the first time that field has been touched since the war ended 12 years ago. He has to watch closely or he may strike an explosive shell or find a body.”


Part 2 - Visiting the Cemetery for the Second Day

The first day at the cemetery had been gut-wrenching. The mothers and widows appreciated the fact that they would have today and tomorrow to visit the grave site of their loved ones.

On this second visit to the cemetery, the mothers and widows spent a quiet day of meditation. They enjoyed the peaceful nature of the cemetery. The birds in the trees were singing, adding to the sense of peace the women felt. Josephine and her companions felt comforted that their loved ones rested in such a beautiful place.

It was a beautiful place and yet a sad one at the same time – hundreds of rows of white marble crosses with the sun shining down on them. The mothers appreciated knowing that the grounds were (and are) kept in wonderful condition under the supervision of a superintendent whose home is right next to the cemetery. The superintendent was, in all probability, a war veteran.

The mothers and widows were grateful to know that 75 men worked at the cemetery under the superintendent’s supervision – all care for the cemetery is paid for by the American government, not the government of France.

Note: Today we consider proper care of graves as something to be expected; but in the years after the war, the condition of the graves at the cemeteries overseas was a cause for real concern. It comforted the mothers and widows to see how well cared for the cemeteries were (and are to this day).

On this second day, perhaps the cemetery superintendent gave a tour of the cemetery, telling some of its history. The ladies continued to enjoy the comfort of the hostess house as a place for lunch and snacks and rest.

On this second visit to the cemetery, most of the pilgrims seemed to be at peace. They visited with each other, talked about their younger days, and their interests back home. Only those mothers who had lost an only child seemed to take longer in achieving peace. And many of the officers and nurses observed that some of the widows suffered more than some of the mothers.

As the time at the cemetery this second day drew to an end, each of the mothers and widows said goodbye to their sons and husbands.  There would be one more full day at the cemetery and then the final goodbye visit would take place on Thursday, September 4.  Most of the pilgrims probably looked forward to that day with dread.






Source: written by Carolyn Ourso