Mariah Loves Earth, Life under the Sky , 2019 I’m sitting outside on this beautiful sunny day contemplating the ephemeral beauty of new friendships. This life-giving essence does not occur with all friendships— it is a rarity —but when it does arise it’s a magical experience; you feel as though your brain's neurons have lit up like a Las Vegas slot machine that has just landed on three red cherries. Occasionally, this feeling may arise when you are captivated by a life-changing book, have watched an enthralling film, entered a flow state during physical activity, or engaged in something deeply creative. The whirlwind of emotions, excitement, glee, and awe are reminiscent of one’s first time on an extraordinarily dizzying amusement park ride; its briefness mimics that of this period of friendship as well. Maybe it’s because Spring is in the air? Or maybe I am inspired by the nostalgic music of my youth? Whatever the cause, thoughts of this blissfully fleeting stage of friendship h...
Lest You Forget: Five Pieces of Media For Remembrance
Mariah Loves Earth. Charlie Sarjeant. 2023
Growing up in Canada, Remembrance Day has always been a part of my life. But it was not a day that I actively observed until the last five years. I recall standing in my elementary school assembly, trying to stay quiet and not fidget, during the two-minutes of silence while the bugler played "The Last Post." At such a young age, it was hard for me to comprehend the gravity of Remembrance Day—let alone to understand war. I am fortunate that as a Canadian, war has not taken place in my country for longer than 100 years. In my eyes, the importance of observing Remembrance Day is to acknowledge the horrors that our ancestors have gone through and to not take peace for granted. We need to acknowledge how precious peace is in order to maintain it. Other countries have not been so fortunate.
My great-grandfather, Charlie Sarjeant, enlisted for WWI on December 27th, 1915. He served in Canada, England, France, and Belgium. He was 17 years old when he joined the war and he was discharged when he was 20 years old for medical reasons. His unit was the Fifth Overseas Universities Company in the Canadian Expeditionary Force. On June 6th 1916, he arrived in France, on June 7th he embarked for his unit, and on June 9th he joined the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry in field. A Proceedings of a Medical Board form(D.M.S 1394) states "This man was four months in trenches in France." He became ill in August 1916 in Flanders, Ypres Salient. He was diagnosed with Trench Fever, D.A.H, and V.D.H.—which are heart conditions that were frequently noted in WWI. Medical History of an Invalid describes him as "slightly nervous, i.e. starts on a sudden sound." His Certificate of Service states that he received British War and Victory medals. It was fortunate that he survived the "Great War" when so many others perished.
I would like to share an excerpt from one of the most phenomenal books I have ever read. It is called Now It Can Be Told by Sir Philip Gibbs (1920) who was one of five official British correspondents during WWI. It is as follows:
Up in the salient something happened to make men question the weakness of the enemy, but the news did not spread very far and there was a lot to do elsewhere, on the Somme, where the salient seemed a long way off. It was the Canadians to whom it happened, and it was an ugly thing. On June 2nd a flame of fire from many batteries opened upon their lines of Ypres, and tragedy befell them…In the trenches just south of Hooge were the Princess Patricia’s Light Infantry, with some battalions of the Royal Canadian Regiment south of them, and some of the Canadian Mounted Rifles (who has long been dismounted), and units from another Canadian division at the extreme end of the line of front. It was those men who had to suffer the tempest of enemy’s shells.The bombardment continued without pause for five hours, by which time most of our front trenches had been annihilated…Hour after hour our gunners fed their breeches and poured out shells. The edge of the salient was swept with fire, and, though the Canadian losses were frightful, the Germans suffered also, so that the battlefield was one great shambles…Out of one party of twenty [Canadians] only five remained alive. "No one can say," said one of their officers, "that the Canadians do not know how to die." No one would deny that. Out of three thousand men in the Canadian 8th Brigade their casualties were twenty-two hundred. There were 151 survivors from the 1st Battalion Canadian Mounted Rifles, 130 from the 4th Battalion, 350 from the 5th, 520 from the 2nd. Those are the figures of massacre.
Eleven days later the Canadians took their revenge. Their own guns were but a small part of the huge orchestra of ‘heavies’ and field batteries which played the devil’s tattoo upon the German positions in our old trenches. It was annihilating and the German soldiers had to endure the same experience as their guns had given to Canadian troops on the same ground.(Gibbs, 1920, p.279-282)
Out of respect for the dead, I believe it is important to acknowledge the horrors of WWI and WWII during the month of November. I often say that no movie can accurately encapsulate what the soldiers experienced unless it is a horror movie. The media that I have listed is media that I have enjoyed and that has given me a better understanding of their experience. According to an article by History on the Net, up to 37 million people died in WWI and more than 60 million in WWII.
Now It Can Be Told by Sir Philip Gibbs (1920 book)
The 2019, feature-length film, 1917 is a British movie about one soldier's experience in WWI. It recounts a journey that the main character takes to deliver a significant message to the front-lines so that a doomed offensive can be called-off. It was directed and produced by Sam Mendes who cites its inspiration to be stories told by his paternal grandfather. It is an incredible film, very graphic, and heart-wrenching.
4. At the Heart of the White Rose; Letters and Diaries of Hans and Sophie Scholl edited by Inge Jens (1984 book)
Mariah Blanchard. The White Rose. 2023
The White Rose was a resistant group comprising of students at the University of Munich during WWII. This is the published journals of siblings Hans and Sophie Scholl who took part in the resistance against the Nazi ideology. Hans Scholl was also a military conscript who witnessed the horrors of the Russian front. They published leaflets to encourage their fellow Germans to resist taking part in the war and in the Nazi beliefs. The journals depict their internal motivations and thoughts on the war. They tell an incredibly powerful and sad story.
5. Butcher's Tale by The Zombies (1968 song)
The Zombies are a British band who released their album Odyssey and Oracle in 1968 which included the song Butcher's Tale. It tells the tale of a British soldier on the front lines who wants to leave. With its haunting organ music and sorrowful lyrics every time I listen to it I want to cry. The lyrics are as follows:
A butcher, yes that was my trade
But the King’s shilling is now my fee
A butcher I may as well have stayed
For the slaughter that I see
And the preacher in his pulpit
Sermoned ‘Go and fight, do what is right’
But he don't have to hear these guns
And I bet he sleeps at night - And I-I-I…
And I can’t stop shaking- my hands won’t stop shaking
My arms won’t stop shaking- my mind won’t stop shaking
I want to go home- please let me go home
Go home
And I have seen a friend of mine
Hang on the wire like some rag toy
And in the heat the flies come down
And cover up the boy
And the flies come down in Gommecourt,
Thiepval, Mametz Wood and French Verdun
If the preacher he could see those flies
Wouldn’t preach for the sound of guns - And I-I-I…
And I can’t stop shaking- my hands won’t stop shaking
My arms won’t stop shaking- my mind won’t stop shaking
I want to go home- please let me go home
Go home
Citations
“All Quiet on the Western Front (2022 film)” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 3 November 2023, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Quiet_on_the_Western_Front_(2022_film).
Gibbs, Philip. Now It Can Be Told. Star Books, 1920.
One of the most humbling experiences that I have had was during a vacation in Italy many years ago. We visited a Canadian WWII cemetery. I was struck by the rows of crosses for soldiers who were only 18, 19, 20, .. 25, 26 years old, they were the same age as my daughter and the many students who I've taught over the years. It truly breaks my hearts to think of those young men who gave everything for us. I will never forget them.
.JPG)
.png)
.jpg)
One of the most humbling experiences that I have had was during a vacation in Italy many years ago. We visited a Canadian WWII cemetery. I was struck by the rows of crosses for soldiers who were only 18, 19, 20, .. 25, 26 years old, they were the same age as my daughter and the many students who I've taught over the years. It truly breaks my hearts to think of those young men who gave everything for us. I will never forget them.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your experience!
Delete