We took the short drive from Independence past 12th St and Vine into Kansas City...Kansas City here we come. We were on our way back in history to World War I. If you're close to our age, your grandparents probably went through World War I and fought in it. Watch the movie War Horse to get an idea of what life was like in that war. My grandfather, Samuel Emmett Tharr fought in that war as did Dale's grandfather, George Soule.
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| Woodrow Wilson was President at the time. |
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| German Luger |
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| Henry Ford was against the war but made many vehicles used in it. |
My grandfather, Sam Tharr, gave me his spurs that he wore in World War I. I still have them. While I appreciated them, I have a greater respect for their historical significance now that I've visited this museum. The spurs in the next two pictures are exactly like the ones I have right down to the leather straps.
We went to the research library in the lower level of the museum and a volunteer looked up our grandfather's names. I got lucky because Ohio kept excellent records of who fought in the War, their units and where they fought. The library also gave me a copy of the diary written by a member of his unit that described their day to day activities.
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| overlooking Kansas City |
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| I bought this book so I could read more about the battle where he was injured. |
