#worldwar1 | Oscar Mike Radio

Episode 118 – WWI Series Part 4 – Eye Deep in Hell

by Travis Partington | Oct 26, 2018 | Podcast

Question of the Week

How was the 22Kill Boston Casino night? I had a lot of fun getting to see familiar faces and meet new people. 22 Kill was at the Emerald Club in Abington, MA doing a fundraiser.

I am hoping that 22Kill Boston does more events. The whole tribe concept is very appealing to me. A group of people who are bound together is a powerful force.

Speaking of people, a listener was at the event and it was good talking about their story. They may be coming on the Oscar Mike Radio very soon. It is important to socialize and connect with each other. It is the only way to cover each other’s 6.

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WWI Series Part 4 – Eye Deep in Hell

I got the book Eye Deep in Hell from a friend of mine. Again, I thought I had a pretty good idea about how World War One was fought. To my disappointment I discovered again that my knowledge was elementary at best. John Ellis takes the reader through everything about Trench Warfare.

There is no whitewashing of the situation in this book. John lays out the history and methodology behind trench warfare. He then goes into the soldier’s lives doing this kind of warfare. I thought I had hard times serving in the desert, but nothing I experienced comes close to what these men did.

Lice, rats and standing twelve hours or more in icy waist deep mud was all in a normal day for the Doughboys. More men were injured from gangrene than anything else. It was a war of attrition that ground soldiers on all sides into nothing. This was a difficult book to read. However, it is just the kind of book that we all should read, especially high and college kids. You can get Eye Deep in Hell from Amazon for $25.00. I consider this a must read. Like I have said before, I could a year of podcasts on World War One and not even scratch the surface. I hope you enjoyed these. I learned just how little I know. OMR out.

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Time Question

My podcast is targeted for 30 minutes air time. Some people are asking for 60 minutes. That raises all kinds of questions, and I would like to know what you think.

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Episode 108 – No Ghosts Here

by Travis Partington | Aug 23, 2018 | Podcast

Episode 108 – No Ghosts Here

All these items were in use at one time, even the signs.

I got invited to check out a private military collection. This was to support a project I am working on for the New England Center and Home for Veterans. The team needed some research done on World War One. Gary, who is a Marine Veteran, was gracious enough to allow me to come see what he had been doing.

I walked into the area and had to pause for a minute. I had been to plenty of military museums before, but this was the first time I had seen items like this up close and personal. This was the first time where someone other than a tour guide was telling me stories about each item. Many of these items had a personal story behind them.

Gary told me about a uniform that actually belonged to his father. His father’s story as an 18 year old kid working on a landing craft for D-Day. He told me about items his father wore and I could see a look of pride in his eye has he talked about that time.

However, it was during the podcast that this experience came in focus for me. He talked about another group that came and looked at the collection. One of the viewers said that there must be a lot of ghosts in these rooms. Gary looked at me and told me that there were, “No Ghosts Here”. This is not a place for ghosts he said, it is place of dignity. Where the deeds of those who went before us are kept alive.

I spent a lot of time reflecting on that thought as I prepared this podcast. I want to thank Gary and his son for taking the time to talk with me and show me something truly remarkable. Memories can be kept alive as long as we choose remember with dignity those who have gone before us.