Jack London, a veteran and the director of writing education for the Military Writer’s Society of America, spent his Veterans Day at the Meuse-Argonne Cemetery, the largest military cemetery in Europe.
The Meuse-Argonne Offensive was a major part of the war. With over 1 million American soldiers fighting against 62 divisions of German soldiers, it was the largest and deadliest battle in United States history. Over 14,000 men are buried in the Meuse-Argonne Cemetery, more than 500 of whom were from Texas.
In the 1930s, a U.S. Army program made it possible for “gold star” mothers – women whose sons or husbands had died in battle – to travel to the cemetery at no charge. Among those women was London’s grandmother. This year, London, along with his wife and friends, will dedicate time to the soldiers and leave American flags on the graves, as well as Texas flags for soldiers from the Lone Star State.
“We will try the best we can to honor men who were utterly forgotten, a hundred years later,” London says.
Written by Alexia Puente.