Farmers Weekly Review

By Nick Reiher

Our daughter texted this morning from London. She was on a “Great Fire” tour.

I texted back, “1666!”

She said, yep, and did you know on the monument to the fire is a stationary telescope and a secret lab underneath?

I said, I did not. Did Christopher Wren do all that?

And she says, “Heck, yeah, he did!”

I love history. Most kinds, but I especially have dug into history of other countries. Mostly, because the schools I attended focused on our country. Which is cool, but after so many times hearing it …

That’s why I love Sandy Vasko’s history columns, both the ones centered in Will County, and those from the recently completed Civil War series, all focused on our locals. I hear others enjoy them as well.

We all studied about the Civil War. (I’m somewhat ashamed to admit I loved the “North and South” TV series). The different battles, the generals who were good, some great and not so great. All culminating at Appomattox Courthouse. Followed by the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln.

We heard about policies and strategies – before, during and after the war. But not too much about the soldiers who fought. Sandy did that. She let us see the Civil War from the eyes of those who fought it and those who waited at home for news.

During those columns she shared, we were there, getting insights we didn’t, couldn’t, from textbooks.

Now, I am excited to say, Sandy will do the same for us for World War I. She calls it the “Forgotten War.” Many called it “The War to End All Wars.”

If only.

For the relatively short time America was actively in the war, it groomed future leaders: Patton, Nimitz, Eisenhower and MacArthur.

The conflict also was so bloody, so horrific was the carnage on all sides, that once he saw it, Gen. John J. Pershing, Commander of the American Expeditionary Forces, suffered a breakdown and stepped down from his command.

I found it ironic, then, when Patton was reprimanded for slapping a soldier suffering from mental trauma a couple decades later, Pershing jumped on the bandwagon, criticizing the soldier.

Maybe he needed to defend his breakdown. Or maybe he needed a slap, too.

Either way, America changed a lot, too, because of that war. We hadn’t seen a serious battle since the Civil War. WWI and a global pandemic (When many didn’t want to wear masks. Go figure), made America grow up fast, with most of the 1920s turning into a party, even without legal booze.

If we have forgotten WWI, Sandy in the coming months will help us remember, giving us detail from the point of view here and abroad of those from Will County.

I am really excited about this feature, and I thank Sandy for offering it.

We hope you enjoy it.

Nick Reiher is editor of Farmers Weekly Review.

I have to add, thank you from all of us here in the Reiher family for your prayers, well-wishes and love for our puppy, Kayley. While we are so sad she is gone, we are thankful she did, indeed, tell us when she was ready to go. We didn’t want her to suffer. I’m sure I’ll have more to say at some point.