Agnes Fraas Gold Star Mothers Pilgrimage Journal - ca. 1931
Transcript
[Tuesday] Paris [ms illegible: 1 wd] Two archways. One is St Martin the other to St Dummis formerly the kings were crowned at Reims and entered Paris through the gate St Martin and when they were driven out or died they left through Lt. Dummis The church shelled by big bertha 70 were killed and 400 wounded on good [ms illegible: 2 wds]. Where the Bastile formerly stood a statue is erected to Napoleon the french people erected the monument to [Napoleon] and tore him down and put Henry the 4th up than some one else and finely [Napoleon] was put back up there are 1618 bodies of Soldiers burned under the base when they decided to leave [ms illegible: 1 wd] there was on the 14th of July and that is the fence national holiday. In 1870 The german and Prussian army took alsaice and Lorain and erected 4 enormous Statues in Paris - Then the german people decided to put a chain around the arch De Triumphs and never pass through the arch untill the places were restored to them after the world war the chain was cut and the unknown soldier of frances body rest under the arch a body was taken from each of the seven bat fields and a young french soldier selected the one to be placed under the Arc 6 thousand wounded soldiers are the Hotel des Invalids. The present President of France lost 4 sons.
Transcript
Left Paris July 28. 730 a.m. The crossroads at Verdun where Louis 16 and Mare Antoinette were captured and returned to paris and afterword beheaded. The road from Bar-le-Duc- to Verdun where the supplied were brought to the fence and american Sol. thousands of trucks bringing the supplies and because so many lost their lives gaurding the road they have named the road Voi sacre and have erect a stone every Kilomtre with the inscrip Vaie Sacrce The sacred way [ms crossed out] Then to the cemetary. Had lunch at the Hostess house than we were given a wreath of beautifull flowers to place on our beloveds grave. Our first impress of the cemetary more of that later back to the hostess House on our way to [ms illegible: 1 wd] hill trance of bayonetts dead mans hill ravine of death back to Hotel 2nd day 930 am. over shell torn and trench covered ground dugouts and one of the german strongholds of the germans, where the had been for 4 years so sure they were going to win they begun carving inscriptions in the stone first on Verdanplatz on to the American Monument here we looked over and seen the border
Transcript
of Belgium - it is 700 ft above ground and 10.50 above sea level this is at Montsec We met the Amer Engineer of this who was born in Alabama educated Texas The incription in American Their devotion their valor and their Sac will live forever in the hearts of their gratfull country men [September 12, 1918] the 35 was in this taken from Pershings last report to Wash The incript at the Cem He sleeps far from his own in the sweet land of france St Mihiels Cemitary [Saturday] [August] 1 - Crossed the Moselle River in Lorain on the way to Metz the Cathedral a beautifull piece of French Architecture built in the 13 centura The germans took Metz 1890 and lived there 48 years. They built an entrance to the Cathedral placeing a statue of St Denial with the Kaisers face minus the mustash when the french got back Lorain the french students hung a shingle over the face with this inscription this is the fall of glory later the statue was torn down the church was started in 1347 and is considered one of the finest in france. Gorge was occupied by the Romans they build an aquaduct 13 miles long to bring their drinking water to Gorge. Here the Germans build the beautifull gate on the Straseburg Road from there we went over the Shell torn country coverd with shell holes trenches and barbed wire entanglements on to St Mihiel for our last visit to the cemetary back to the Hotel than the Leutenant took us to the citadel where the french officers and 30 thousand citizens of Verdun hid a city underground of Verdun. Sunday left Verdun 730 Arrived St Minehould over the Marne River Lunch 930 at Moderne Hotel arrived Reims seen the Beautifull Cathedral lunch Crystal Hotel arrived [Belleau Woods] a beautifull American monument for the boys there most of them among the missing beautifull view of Chateau T. from the hill a german observation point. Rest and refresh at Hostelleire du Bonhomme where the shell come through the roof and did not explode - Hill 204. -
Details
| Title | Agnes Fraas Gold Star Mothers Pilgrimage Journal - ca. 1931 |
| Creator | Fraas, Agnes |
| Source | Fraas, Agnes. Gold Star Mothers Pilgrimage Journal. ca. 1931. Frank X. Fraas Collection. 2002.50. The National World War I Museum, Kansas City, Missouri. |
| Description | Agens Fraas kept this journal during her Gold Star Mothers pilgrimage in July of 1931. Agnes went to France to visit the grave of her son, Frank Fraas. Frank served in the 129th Field Artillery, 35th Division and died on October 7, 1918 from wounds received in action. |
| Subject LCSH | World War, 1914-1918; Memorialization |
| Subject Local | WWI; World War I; 129th Field Artillery, Battery C.; Gold Star Mothers |
| Site Accession Number | 2002.50 |
| Contributing Institution | National World War I Museum and Memorial |
| Copy Request | Transmission or reproduction of items on these pages beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the National World War I Museum and Memorial: (816) 888-8100. |
| Rights | The text and images contained in this collection are intended for research and educational use only. Duplication of any of these images for commercial use without express written consent is expressly prohibited. |
| Date Original | ca. 1931 |
| Language | English |