Too much excitement in one bunch is hard on a man’s constitution.

Grant Willard was blessed with a large and loving family that extended beyond his parents and siblings. The Willards of Mankato were a clannish bunch: grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. And they were involved in each other's lives, families and businesses. One such was Carolyn M. Robbins (1864-1926). 

A first cousin of his mother, Carolyn was a teacher and librarian at the Mankato Normal School, which today is a branch of the Minnesota State University. She and her sister, Alice, lived together for many years and were an integral part the Robbins-Willard clan. Unlike many of their contemporaries, they traveled widely at home and overseas, and that fact added a touch of the exotic for their younger cousins. Alice became Grant's step-mother in the 1940s when she married his widowed dad.


Convois Autos.,
S.S.U. 647,
Par B.C.M.,
France.

11/18/18

Dear Family:

Haven’t written you since leaving Paris simply because we have been most occupied.  Spent two miserable days in finding the section and when I did find them they were in the midst of a grand and glorious advance in an interesting sector with every car and every man working night and day. We have been up here now ten days and are still busy though our division is slowly being relieved. We hope to be out of this in a few more days. Too much excitement in one bunch is hard on a man’s constitution. It has been raining now for two weeks, today being the first time the sun has appeared in two long weeks. But still our boys progress. We’ve got friend Boche in a bad hole and he is pulling out as best he can.

Carolyn M. Robbins (1864-1926)

Have just received Carolyn’s letter enclosing Miss Chauvet’s kind invitation. Am very sorry it couldn’t have come a week earlier so that I could have used it while I was in Paris. Have no idea when I will ever get in again. Thank Carolyn for me until I have time to write her a letter. I shall also write Miss Chauvet.

Am well and so is Hap though at present we are both coughing our heads off from wet feet. The weather is bad and we are soaked to the skin a good share of the time.

But cheer up! We’ll soon be out of here – long before this letter reaches you.

Had a piece of shell or a rock clip the first knuckles on my left hand the other night.  Just removed the skin – nothing serious. Our section’s casualties have been light during this action. Only two gassed and one wounded.  Fraser had a piece tear across his neck but only cut the skin. He was very fortunate as the shell struck less than 20 feet from him and wrecked his car. Two other cars have been destroyed and one patient killed while two of our boys were loading him in the car. Wow, Mother, I hate to think how fortunate we have been.  My fingers are crossed as I write this.

God bless you all and may this thing be ended soon.

Much love,

Grant.

Armistice terms will surely swamp the Kaiser and his gang

The next chapter for our band of ambulance men.

Shortly after the signing of the armistice, SSU 647 was detached from the U.S. Army's 82nd Infantry Division and seconded to the French Army of the Rhine. The ambulances were to help transport Allied prisoners of war from German camps and prisons in the occupied Rhineland.

Even before the Allied armies could take up their positions in Germany, POWs were streaming across no-man's-land in search of friendly faces, food and family.


Wednesday, November 13, 1918:

Am sick with a touch of grippe. Feel rotten! Armistice terms have come through. If we thought the terms to Turkey & Bulgaria were stiff, holy smokes, what would you call the terms to Germany? They surely swamp the Kaiser and his gang.

Thursday, November 14:

Feeling rottener! Got a lot o’fever. We are giving a dance for the town people this coming Sunday. The first time they have danced in four years. We’re going to give them a real party.

Friday, November 15:

We are leaving the division tomorrow for good to return to the French. There isn’t much celebrating around here. Major Sparr isn’t very vexed. We go to Valcourt about 5 km out of St. Dizier.

Saturday, November 16:

A Lt. Wolf joined us last night to take Lt. Smith’s place -- the latter being in Paris with the grippe. Am feeling a bit better today, but am riding in the staff car instead of #11 where I can keep warm and ride on a cushion. Lt. Wolf seems like a nice fellow. An ex-actor who played in “Under Cover” just before the war broke out.

Later -- Had a pretty good ride. Feel much better tonight than I did this morning. Had a long, cold ride up to Valcourt. We are quartered here in barns except that I am living in a house beside a warm grate-fire which Woodie built for me. Am very comfortable.

Orders have just come in for Kendrick’s section (649) and us to leave here for Nancy tomorrow morning at 8 o’clock. We sure are traveling these days. It now looks as though we are going to be part of the army of occupation.

How joyous everyone is!

At 5 a.m. on November 11, 1918, a German delegation signed an armistice agreement with the Allied Powers. The guns fell silent at 11 a.m. (Paris time), but during the intervening six hours there were nearly 11,000 casualties of which 2,700 were deaths.


The armistice terms contained the following major points:

• Termination of military hostilities within six hours of signature.
• Immediate removal of all German troops from France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Alsace-Lorraine.
• Subsequent removal of all German troops from territory on the west side of the Rhine plus 30 km radius bridgeheads of the right side of the Rhine at the cities of Mainz, Koblenz, and Cologne with ensuing occupation by Allied troops.
• Removal of all German troops at the eastern front to German territory as it was on 1 August 1914.
• Renunciation of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk with Russia and of the Treaty of Bucharest with Romania.
• Internment of the German fleet.
• Surrender of material: 5,000 cannons, 25,000 machine guns, 3,000 "Minenwerfers," 1,700 airplanes, 5,000 locomotive engines, and 150,000 railcars.

After four years, one of the bloodiest wars in human history was over.The total number of military and civilian casualties was more than 37 million. There were more than 16 million deaths and 20 million wounded.

The total number of deaths includes about 10 million military personnel and about 7 million civilians. The Allied Powers lost about 6 million soldiers while the Central Powers lost about 4 million. At least 2 million died from diseases and 6 million went missing, presumed dead.


Monday, November 11, 1918:

The Division is moving today and so are we. I reported back to our HQ. this A.M. and found them packing up. The lieutenant said to stay so we didn’t follow troops, thank goodness. We left about noon for Clefmont on the main road between Neufchâteau and Langres about 35 km south of Neufchâteau.

While we were en route the news that the armistice had been signed and all firing had ceased at 11 A.M. today was received and the towns were wild all the way down. Everybody was smiling. It’s hard to realize. I haven’t grasped the idea yet. How joyous everyone is!

When we reached Clefmont we went down to the school house and helped the kids ring the bell. We are the only soldiers in the town so we have things pretty much our own way. Our Frenchmen are busy making a hit with the French people around here. Luyx, Hap, Johnnie, Frase, Eric, Titchmer, Schmittie, McGuire and myself ate in town this evening. We had chicken, french-fried, omelet, bread and raspberry jam and champagne to celebrate the armistice. A merry party.

Got one trip to Neufchâteau and saw all the old gang at Base 66.

Grant's comrade, Robert Ware Bodfish, was born on September 8, 1895, in Palmer, Massachusetts. After graduating from Clark University in 1917, he became an ambulance driver with the American Field Service in France, and subsequently enlisted in the American Army and joined SSU 647. Back in the U.S., Bodfish went to Harvard Law, married and settled down in Springfield, Mass. That's where he died on January 17, 1991.

Saturday, November 9, 1918:

’Tis official that delegates have conferred with Foch and have returned to Germany and have until Monday at 11 A.M. to sign the armistice. Great news because they are sure to sign it this time. I’ll bet they are some terms.

Pagny-la-Blanche-Côte

Sunday, November 10:

Went on post today with Bodfish as aide. We went to a place called Pagny and worked with Capt. Dowling of the 325th. Got one trip to Neufchâteau and saw all the old gang at Base 66. They sure were glad to see us and we were glad to see them. Jack Swain and Harris were there also. We went down to #13 to see our old lady who used to cook us such good meals, but she was out so Bod. and I returned.

We are living at a deserted aviation camp

The small village of Amanty, in the French department of the Meuse, lies in an area of vast aquifers. When I visited there in February 2010, the water was gurgling up out of the ground right in the streets. 

Thursday, November 7, 1918:

Amanty village hall

Moved at noon today for a place called Amanty about 7 km out of Gondrecourt[-le-Château]. We are living at a deserted aviation camp here just out of Amanty. Our barracks are splendid and we are off by ourselves for once. We live in what used to be the photographic shop. Our dining room is in another barracks and shop in still another.

War news is most encouraging. It was rumored today that Germany had sent delegates to Foch to talk armistice.

Bar-le-Duc is spoiled just like all other French towns invaded by Americans.

SSU 647 moves off the front line.

Sunday, November 3, 1918:

Left this A.M. - 7 o’clock - in convoy for les Islettes. We are glad to get off the front, but we hate to leave our mill. We were very comfortably fixed with plenty of stoves and wood for a cold winter. Arrived at les Islettes about 10 A.M. Joe Harris and I were dispatched to the next town to await further orders through Major Sparr. At 4 P.M. the orders came and we returned to the section. Five cars are to remain with headquarters. The rest of us leave for Bar-le-Duc in the morning. 

Wilhelm II (1859-1941)

The abdication of the Kaiser was confirmed in the papers this afternoon.


Monday, November 4:

Bar-le-Duc, 2008

We arrived in Bar-le-Duc at 10 P.M. today having left les Islettes at 7:30. We are now at the auto parc about 3 miles outside of Bar. 

Our time is our own. Joe Harris, Hap, Risley and myself went into Bar to take a bath this P.M., but found too long a line in waiting so we walked around the town and ate dinner in a quiet little cafe off the main street. Got a fairly good feed, but Bar is spoiled just like all other French towns invaded by Americans.

A very heavy and continuous barrage has been going all day.

In a matter of weeks in October and November 1918 the governments of the Central Powers fell apart. On October 6 the Germans sent an armistice request to President Wilson, which was rejected. On October 17 the Austro-Hungarian Empire began to dissolve: Hungary separated from Austria, and the next day Czechoslovakia was declared. On November 9 Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicated and the Weimar Republic was declared.

Friday, November 1, 1918:
    Hell broke this morning about 3 o’clock. A very heavy and continuous barrage has been going all day. Our position is a novel one indeed. Here we are right up in the midst of things and we haven’t got a car out except on an occasional “tour of inspection” for our own benefit. Reports up to 4 P.M. today were not over encouraging. The Boche are resisting stubbornly. But after our rush had passed machine gun emplacements the whole Boche line had given way and up to 10 P.M. our boys were still going forward find it difficult to keep in touch with the enemy. There is practically no resistance from their artillery. I think they have made preparations for this retreat days ago. This attack is a general attack along the whole front. Tonight’s’ reports state that the whole line has advanced, many prisoners and much booty have been captured.

Saturday, November 2:
    Our boys are still advancing having met slight resistance. Apremont is so far behind the lines now that even the big guns sound far off. Many prisoners are passing down the road. About 3000 were assembled this A.M. in the field near the Chateau. Very young! Some look worn and very exhausted. All seem to be very thankful and satisfied with their present lot. 

    Two or three of our cars have been up over the new front souvenir hunting. They report terrible devastation wrought by our artillery both in life and property. Many interesting souvenirs are coming in. Chapigneulle and St. Georges and Imécourt saw the brunt of our barrage and severe hand to hand combat later.
 
    We have our orders to move and leave tomorrow morning for les Islettes, there to await further orders. Wouldn’t be at all surprised if 647 and the 82nd had seen the last of front action. ’Tis reported that we are bound for Vaucouleurs down near Neufchâteau for a long repos during which time the division will be recruited.