It
was supposed to be the war to end all wars
It
was supposed to be swift not four years of blood and gore
A
Western Front that moved in feet at incredible cost
With
gas attacks and bombardments any humanity seemed lost
Submarine
warfare against merchant ships at sea
Starvation
blockade of a starving Germany
17
million civilians and soldiers paid the ultimate sacrifice
For
a few yards of devastated earth not worth the price
Men
charging across of barren field protected by helmet and cloth
Mowed
down by machine guns cutting down in wide swaths
Nations
in Europe on their last legs ready to crumble
The
wailing of civilians drowned out by the cannons’ rumble
After
staying out the fray until 1917
On
April 7, the U.S. entered the Martian scene
Black
Jack led the American Expeditionary Force
2.8 million fresh troops to change the war’s course
To
fight as an army not as replacements to fill gaps in the French and British
lines
To
shed their blood as units was Black Jack’s steadfast design
They
beat the best the Germans had to offer
Until
worn down and out, an Armistice the Germans had to proffer
100
years ago the sound of gunfire came to an end
American
troops never broke and only sometimes had to briefly bend.
The
war to end all wars ended World War I but planted the seeds
To
in less than 22 years witness a world once again at war forced to die and bleed
Thank
God we honor the sacrifices of the veterans on Veterans Day
May
our memory of their sacrifices in war and in peace never fade away
©
November 11, 2018 Michael P. Ridley aka the Alaskanpoet
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