The Hunt County Historical Commission will honor the men in Hunt County who gave their lives for liberty and democracy. On Saturday, November 10 at 11:00 A.M. we will have a short memorial service on the steps of the Hunt County Courthouse. I hope you will plan to attend.
Corporal Irvin Greene Coley served in 315th Engineers, 90th Division, AEF in the Alsace-Lorraine area of France. Mr. Coley returned safely to Bryson, Texas where he lived until 1991.
As many of you know, I have spent the last five years with my head in books about life in Europe and North America between August 4, 1914 and November 11, 1918. While it is not unusual for me to have my head in a book, to be so specific is an exception.
My paternal grandfather served as a corporal in the 315th Engineers of the 90th Division, AEF (short for American Expeditionary Forces). Like many veterans, he talked little about his combat months in the Alsace-Lorraine region of eastern France. But I. G. Coley did tell about his adventures after the Armistice when he and three other men were sent out with surveying apparatus, pads of paper and lots of pencils. Their task was to “live off the land,” and map the area. One of the four was issued a pistol, my grandfather. To live off the land meant they needed families to feed them and give them a spot to sleep. That was a major roadblock.
Since 1870, the Alsace-Lorraine was a part of Germany. The locals spoke German and considered themselves citizens of Germany. So, an American doughboy who spoke no French or German knocked on the door wanting supper and a place to sleep was horrifying for all concerned. Gradually, my grandfather learned a little German, found a source of candy for the children and food for all before mapping the area. By July 1919 he was on his way home to Bryson, Texas.
As I listened to his stories, I wondered why he and other Americans were even there. I began with Guns of August by Barbara Tuchman and ended with Paris 1919 by Margaret MacMillan. In between I read more than 100 books and articles, watched videos, listened to historians and diplomats. I know more but not all about the Great War and its causes.
But I also learned how the American people were divided concerning the War. I learned about deadly gases used by both sides, the use of trenches until Americans arrived with a different method of waging war developed during the American Civil War.
Research into any war events is brutal on the researcher. Many times, I had to put down my books and read an Agatha Christie novel before I could continue my research. But it has been a gratifying experience. I am not a military historian by any means. I prefer to investigate the Homefront, instead of battles. Often, I have asked myself if I could have survived what the women and children in Belgium suffered. I don’t know the answer.
The Hunt County Historical Commission will honor the men in Hunt County who gave their lives for liberty and democracy. On Saturday, November 10 at 11:00 A.M. we will have a short memorial service on the steps of the Hunt County Courthouse. That’s the side facing Landon’s. Since the official day of the Armistice is Sunday, November 11, at 11:00 A.M. we decided to move it a day earlier in order not to obstruct church services.
Everyone is invited free of charge. Whether you had ancestors there or not, you can quietly thank these brave men. Please try to attend.