The Armistice has been signed! The war is finally over and now I can return as a victor back to the States. This has been the most illusive day in history. For months there have been rumors that an armistice to end the war would be signed. But with each passing day I lost more and more hope with the war actually ending. It seems more like I am just going to go on leave rather head home soon. Supposedly the armistice was signed yesterday in a railroad car in Compiegne, France. However my company did not receive the news until today when the Tommies for no apparent reason erupted into cheers and began to celebrate. It took a few minutes for the word to reach our side of the trench but when it did we celebrated harder and more passionately than anyone. As the dizzying effect of the shock that something so violent and inhumane such as this horrendous war that ended and ruined more lives than any before it could end so easily with a few flicks of the pen. It seems almost impossible for something in this war to end with peace. What should have happened based on the war would be that every German was slaughtered and thus no-one left to fight. Throughout the war our commanding officers continually tell us to “Take no prisoners” and “Kill or be killed” but now all of this killing is ended by some General who never saw a minute of combat to sign a meaningless piece of paper. It’s a sick and cheap paradoxical way for this “Great War” to end. I will never be able to get rid of the memories of the dead German teenagers falling dead on top of me, or how many young men just like myself that I looked straight in the eye and still pulled the trigger knowing that this was the only way to survive. I don’t want a parade when I return home, and I don’t want to have to tell each and every inquisitive mind what scars, both physically and mentally, that I have from this war. I just want the pain and the suffering to end. I have been able to survive the snipers, air-raids, machine-gun fire, and mustard gas, but I will never be able to truly live with what I went through.
Sincerely, Charles Jefferson
