The Great War Ends

It was one hundred years ago today that the war known as The Great War, World War I, ended. This war had taken a great toll on the world, and it was no different for Gloucester. Not only did the war rage, but so did the Spanish Flu Pandemic. The headlines every single day told of another loss to war or disease.  So I am certain this headline from Nov 7 1918 was a very welcome sight.

And, a few days later on Nov 11 1918, the Gloucester Daily Times published this:

And, although the 100th anniversary of this profound event may go somewhat unnoticed, the staff at Sawyer Free Library are (as always) right on top of things, offering this display of war related items and various media. One of my Facebook friends shared a link to an audio recording from the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month. It’s short and definitely worth a listen.

But perhaps the greatest headline of all was this one. One year later, Armistice Day was first recognized. It later became Veterans Day as the country found itself involved in other wars and acknowledged those who served. Thank you to our veterans and active military today and in the past.