Harry M. Palmer
The Battle of Verdun, France, was one of the bloodiest, longest and most critical battles in all of WWI on the Western Front. The battle lasted from February 21, 1916, to December 9, 1916. The Battle of Verdun was fought for prestige between two countries for the sake of fighting. It was fought, basically, to make General Philippe Petain a hero in France. The casualties lost were astronomical and almost unbelievable; never had there been so many soldiers fighting on such a small piece of land. The battlefield wasn't even a square ten kilometers, which was partially the reason there were so many wounded and deceased.
The Battle of Verdun resulted in more that a quarter of a million deaths and at least a million wounded. Throughout the years following the Battle of Verdun, numerous other soldiers were killed, captured and wounded in Verdun. Harry M. Palmer, of Pittsville, Wisconsin, died on October 16, 1918 in Verdun, France. He was killed in action like so many other soldiers of World War I. Palmer was a sergeant in the U.S. Army before being killed in action. He was born in 1898 in Wisconsin and is now being honored among other veterans at the Wood County Veterans Memorial in Wisconsin Rapids.
Throughout the course of the entire World War I, or "The Great War" over 40 million casualties resulted, including approximately 20 million military and civilan deaths. Over 60 million European soldiers were mobilized from 1914 to 1918. "They rest in peace so that we may live in peace."--Wood County Veterans Memorial
Victoria M. Gurtler, Student
East Junior High, Wisconsin Rapids
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