...7 ancestors joined the fight to protect their family and county. Only one returned back home. They fought the most horrible battles history could known, The Somme I & II, Ypres II, La Marne, Verdun, Spring Offensive, and 100 day Offensive. My great-grandfather, his greatcoat he used from 1916 shown, was one of the most honorable and respected WWI vets in France. Never doubted his superiors or an order, fought bravely and superb soldier. He was a messenger after shrapnel injured his ankle, transfered from the front lines.

His most proudest moment in all his life was hearing General Petain scream "They shall not pass!" and was given a message of the battle plan of Verdun, which if he had never gotten through, Verdun would of been hopelessly lost.

Written in his journal, he expresses great fear of the unknown and seeing what appeared to be the end to everything he knew and loved. He was like many, scared and young, wanting to survive it all.

Until the day it all stopped, he had one more mission to accomplish. Half an hour before the war ended, he delivered his final message as a soldier. Gave it to his officer and opened it. It wrote "Cease fire at 1100, must be done." He proceeded to to a firing trench line and took his rifle and shouldered it. Not knowing what the message meant to cease fire, he did nothing. Nothing but wait until the final hour. He placed his head on the dirt, only listened to the guns firing and the bombs explode. His eyes were focusing on spent ammunition casings years on year without end, littering the ground. Then all of a sudden, the fighting stopped. It was dead silent, no cheering or laughter. Then a visitor dropped by. Something he hadn't seen that felt like a life time, a butterfly that had a wing stuck in the mud. Blankly staring at this butterfly, he had left his rifle and took off his helmet, and gazed at it as if it was the last butterfly he'll ever see. Picked it up and gently wiped the wing clean, and flew away. He followed it untill it blended in the dark twisted land, only thinking about the rebirth of what humanity destroyed in its wake.

My great-grandfather was open about the war, hoping that the next generations would never have to go through it like he did, making sure that wars will never happen once more like it did.

Until 21 years later....................................