Thomas was my grandfather. He served as an infantry private in Europe in most of the major battles of World War 1.He was wounded twice, the second time three days before armistice. He never spoke to the grandchildren about the war, so most of the stories I heard were from my dad. From what I heard he was a brave and resilient man who saw some horrific events. When my father asked him to sign the papers to join the regular army after he completed CMT, he refused. The winners glorify the achievements of war but I think it's the front line soldiers who carry the scars for the rest of their lives. I have huge admiration for those who defend our country but more and more the motives for conflict become less clear.