November 5 - November 18, 2019
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Local man stunned by honors for his ancestors Doug Clark finds that France still reveres his great-uncles who died at Verdun in World War I By Pamela Dozois reporter@santaynezvalleystar.com
File Photo Local VFW Post 7139 will again lead ceremonies to honor the country’s veterans on Veterans Day.
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ince childhood, Doug Clark had always heard stories about his two great uncles who died during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive in Verdun, France. The battle was a major part of the final Allied offensive of World War I. It was fought from Sept. 26, 1918, until the Armistice of Nov. 11, 1918, when the fighting stopped at the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month. It was the deadliest battle in American history and is also considered the largest; it involved 1.2 million American soldiers. It was the battle that brought the World War I to an end. Approximately 26,337 American soldiers died during the 47 days of fighting, defending France. Clark’s great-uncle, Coleman Clark, who was in the French Foreign Legion, died in May 1918. Coleman’s brother Salter Clark was in the U.S. Army and died on Oct. 19, 1918, just three weeks from the end of the war. They were killed in different theaters but the two brothers are now buried side-by-side at the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery about 20 miles outside of Verdun. To celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary in 2018, Clark and his wife Nancy went on a Viking River Cruise down the Seine River in France. “During the eight days we spent on the Seine, I recalled that my uncles were buried in the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery near Verdun, and I also knew that none of my family had visited the graves since 1920,” Clark said. “The idea of visiting them hadn’t occurred to me before, but we decided to go since we were relatively close by. We drove 150 miles into the middle of nowhere. When we finally reached the little town, we saw a sign that read ‘American Cemetery – This Way.’” “When we arrived we were amazed at the size
Photos Contributed Laying a wreath during the centennial celebration are Doug Clark and his first cousin Mary Ellen Clark, surrounded by dignitaries.
Nov. 11 ceremony to honor military men and women By Alvin Salge
Commander, VFW Post 7139
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Sisters Mary Ellen, left, and Pat Clark chat during the centennial celebration with Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti, a four-star general who is a retired Supreme Allied Commander of NATO.
and the beauty of the architecture, the manicured lawns, and the 14,256 marble crosses that lay before us with a chapel at the top of the hill. There was no one else there,” he added. “We drove in and walked up to a little guest house, which was deserted. There was a register book on the desk. We signed in, ‘Doug and Nancy Clark to visit the graves of Coleman and Salter Clark’. Suddenly, from around the corner came a young woman, Manon Bart, the inter-
pretive guide for the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery. She said ‘Hello’ and, looking at the register, she said, ‘Mon Dieu, you’re the Clarks. We’ve been waiting for you.’ At that moment, my wife Nancy punched me and said ‘See, now do you believe in God?’ Being a skeptic, I asked the woman if the man from the cruise line had called her in advance to let her know we were coming. She said ‘No.’ Then she said, ‘Come WWI MEMORIAL CONTINUED TO PAGE 28
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n the Veterans Day Holiday — Monday, Nov. 11 — Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7139 will honor and salute all American veterans who, throughout our history, have unselfishly placed their lives on the line for freedom. Veterans Day started as Armistice Day on Nov. 11, 1918, to mark the end of fighting in World War I. We will hold our Veterans Day program at 11 a.m. Monday, Nov. 11, at the Veterans Memorial Building on Mission Drive in Solvang with a number of speakers, including VAFB Col. Pete Flores, 14th Air Force Operations Commander, as well as VFW and American Legion members. There will also be patriotic music and a luncheon. We honor our troops around the world and those who are still countering our current threats. We invite all veterans, their families and caring citizens to attend. We also welcome veterans from allied countries who fought beside our service men and women. For more information, call 805-245-1793.
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