My great-uncle was with the Canadian Expeditionary Forces. He was hit by German machine gun fire on September 2, 1918 while crossing Arras–Cambrai road, during the Battle of Drocourt-Quéant Line (part of the 100 days offensive), and died on the 11th. He's buried in a British military cemetery near Boulogne, France.
Respect.
My great-uncle was on Pershing’s staff after being promoted to captain for the Mexican Punitive Expedition. Spent the war in Paris. May have never heard a gunshot.
Acclaimed as a great war hero in NY high society when he came home. Parlayed that into NY real estate, then banking.
Only had one child, a daughter. She died of an ectopic pregnancy (JUST before penicillin). He had two penthouses, a huge home in the Hamptons, and what we called “the mansion” in Central Brooklyn.
He fell out with my grandpa early, who I guess was kind of a Mama’s boy - and Mama, born under a Hanoverian King, didn’t care for her boys going off to kill Germans.
My great-uncle co-authored the first proposal for what became the World Trade Center. He died alone in the late 60s. I never knew what happened to all the money.
Neither did my parents, who always cited him as an example of “you can’t take it with you”.