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WW1

October 7, 2015 (Night)

Exercise Type: Run

Weather: Another beautiful day for a run

Comments:
I actually saw a bunch of people out running today. So that was crazy.

Two things from this run. First was I saw my boss' boss while I was running. He was also out running. It was weird. The leadership here has like Nucor mode it seems. Like he waved and I waved and called him by name. He then realized I must work for him and like got all friendly and such. Some of the guys I work with believe he forces himself to be out going. I now believe it.

Second I can't resist sharing an anecdote from the WW1 podcast I'm listening to. First if you're interested google "WW1 German Calvary" and check out this picture of a German soldier dressed for battle. He's wearing what looks to be a pretty modern military uniform including metal helmet (metal helmets were a bit innovation in the first world war) and wearing a gas mask. However the picture juxtaposes those modern trappings of war with the man sitting on a horse holding a lance. It just strikes me as absurd.

Second is an account of one soldiers experience with a day at the battle of the Somme. Background, in WW1 the prevailing thought at least among the British was that if you fought with your buddies you would fight harder and show less cowardice because you were afraid of being shamed in front of them. Of course when like 75% of your unit becomes a causality that backfires pretty quick.

But anyways so this guy is serving with his friend Sampson. How things shake out is Sampson is going to get out of the trench and rush the German position before the guy relating the story. So the whistle blows and Sampson jumps out, makes it about 20 yards and is promptly shot. Understandably he starts screaming in pain. So 3 of his buddies also serving with him think "he's not that far, he's still alive, we can go save him real quick." So they jump out the trench and run after him. Before they make it they all get shot and die. Three more guys do the same thing. Jump out, get shot, die.

At this point Sampson stops making noise and no one else goes after him.

Later that night the guy telling the story is tasked to recover the bodies and wounded under the cover of darkness. So he heads out of the trench. The first thing he comes across is Sampson who at this point has died.

The thing that got me the most with this story was the next bit. Sampson it turns out had been shot 17 times. He had stopped screaming not because he died but because he shoved his fist into his mouth so far that it muffled all sounds he was making.

Definitely makes you glad you were born when you were and not 100 years ago. Because honestly 100 years ago, that's us out there.