The first Armistice Day in Detroit

[Mikeg]

On this 100th anniversary of Armistice Day, I invite you to click here and read the Discuss Detroit thread I wrote 11 years ago to recognize the 89th anniversary of Armistice Day in Detroit, and which also highlighted the exploits of "Detroit's Own" 339th Infantry Regiment who were still fighting six months later North Russia.

My grandfather was a Corporal in Company I of the 339th, which was assigned to the Railroad Front. During the winter of 1918-1919, their front lines were located about 100 miles south of Archangel [[Arkhangelsk), Russia. The Allied and Bolshevik forces were basically stalemated at this location for almost a year. Despite numerous artillery barrages and flank attacks, neither side could gain an advantage.

In early August of 2018, I traveled to Arkhangelsk and was able to visit the military ruins at the railroad front lines. This photo shows me standing in one of the trenches that my grandfather occupied at Verst 444 on the Allied side of the no-man's land.