The Silence Heard Around the World – Sentinel and Enterprise

The beginning of the Revolutionary War is known as “The Shot Heard Round the World.” Veterans Day (Armistice Day) is known for the ‘Silence Heard Round the World’.

It was 11am on November 11, 1918 when the guns finally fell silent and the fighting in the First World War came to an end. The moments after the armistice brought about the most beautiful, silent sounds of peace.

An Associated Press article described that moment as “Silence has replaced the roar of cannon and the rattle of machine guns.” The US and the Allies had defeated Germany and the Central Powers.

Journalist Philip Gibbs was with the British Army in France during the armistice. He wrote in the Chicago Tribune: “The fires of hell were extinguished. It was quiet along the entire front… There was no light of gunfire in the sky, no sudden flames through the darkness, no long, spreading current above the black trees, where people were beaten to death for four years. .”

At home in the United States, the cessation of weapons led to a jubilant celebration. In Middletown, Connecticut, church bells and factory whistles rang in the morning and a parade began. School and work were canceled so everyone could celebrate.

The people of Middletown were quickly reminded of the costs of war. The Hartford Courant reported that news just reached the city that one of its own men, Lieutenant Leonard B. Fuller, was killed in a plane crash in France. Fuller was a former student at Wesleyan University in Middletown.

My own family experienced a similar tragedy when my great-uncle, Ira Pitzer, was murdered in France just eight days before the armistice.

Think of how many lives were saved by the ceasefire. But let’s also think about how many people could be saved today by ending conflicts happening all over the world.

I believe this is the true spirit of Armistice, which is to continue the mission for a world free from the horrors of war. The men and women who lived through World War I experienced a trauma unlike any other in history. The tribute they would want is undoubtedly a world where no one has to experience such horror. Unfortunately, we did not realize this noble dream, as we experienced another world war and many other conflicts.

But Armistice Day reminds us that we cannot give up peace, no matter how difficult it is to obtain.

We must also recognize the consequences of war, which can long outlast the fighting. War leads to food shortages and famine. Children suffer the most.

Our veterans have often taken the lead in the fight against the enemy of hunger. After World War I, Lieutenant George Harrington led a hunger relief mission to Latvia. He also helped broker a ceasefire between opposing forces vying for power in the country. Harrington also encouraged the start of school nutrition programs for children. That is something that every war-torn country needs to fix.

During World War II, when General Patton’s Third Army fought German forces in France, a detachment provided humanitarian aid to refugees. The Third Army Detachment C112 “provided hard emergency rations including soap, cod, legumes, biscuits, meat, milk and chocolate” for French refugees displaced by German forces.

We must never forget those hungry and displaced by the war. Our veterans didn’t do that.

The ‘Silence Heard Round the World’ should inspire us all to continue that quest for world peace. The armistice brought hope for an end to all wars. That dream should never be lost in our hearts and minds.

William Lambers is the author of The Road to Peace and Ending World Hunger. His writings have been published by the NY Times, Newsweek, History News Network, and many other news sources.