Journal Entry – November 11, 1995 – New Delhi

The Aeroflot flight from Moscow must have arrived for crowds of badly-dressed Russians throng through the market buying cheap clothing to sell for a tidy profit back in the ex-Soviet Union. Finding large clothing isn't easy, but the Indian merchants of the cheap tourist hotel district know their market. It is now apparent from the swift collapse of the USSR that the CIA lied about Communist's hold on their regime, although the Russians freed Europe from the Nazis.

Throughout my stay in New Delhi Indians have asked why the USA sold F-16s to their subcontinental adversery Pakistan and I said, "The Pentagon does not win wars which are used to grind profit fromcivilians and solidiers to earn profit for the military-industrial complex.

No one mentioned Armistice Day.

The War to End All Wars.

I walked to the train station and bought a one-way ticket to Goa.

Peace reigned there.

Hippies love peace.

11/11/1918 - The Last To Go

Published on Nov 11, 2008

My grandfather and grandmother met in France. The year was 1917. They served together in a frontline hospital for the Royal Canadian Medical Expedition. Neither had much use for God after witnessing the carnage of trench warfare. 90 years ago they were sitting along the Marne for the Armstice. It was signed at 5am, but didn't take effect, until the 11th second of the 11th minute of the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. Up to that moment the guns along the Western Front unloosed their last cannonade. The 11th second came and went without any abatement in the fury. Soldiers on both sides still had ammo and they weren't taking it home from 'over there'.

It is estimated that over 10,000 men were killed or wounded between 5am and 11am.

The last casualty is reputed to be a Canadian, Private George Lawrence Price.

He was struck in the chest by a German sniper at 10:58am.

One of the 60,000 dead from the Great North.

Pacem in Terrem.

I asked a number of New Yorker about Armstice Day. It's a national holiday. Out of twenty only two could say why they had a day off from work.

"As you get old, you forget. As you get older you are forgotten."