ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS — The Life and Times of a World War One Soldier: The Julius Holthaus Story ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The writing of this book was not a solo undertaking but rather I had the help and encouragement of many people over the years of research and writing. To these individuals, I want to express my gratitude. First, I want to thank my wife, Gail, and our children, Jeff and…

FOREWORD — The Life and Times of a World War I Soldier: The Julius Holthaus Story FOREWORD The Battle of the Meuse –Argonne might as well have taken place, geographically as well as metaphysically, on the dark side of the moon, given the extent that the average American is aware of it. …

PREFACE — The Life and Times of a World War I Soldier: The Julius Holthaus Story PREFACE Battles are the punctuation marks in history. -Winston Churchill For a number of years I had been researching a large amount of diverse information on Julius Holthaus which would eventually be brought together as the Life and Times of a World War I soldier. One day I needed a break…

The Life and Times of a World War I Soldier: The Julius Holthaus Story INTRODUCTION In peace sons bury fathers, but war violates the order of nature, and fathers bury sons. –Herodotus As one travels through northern France and Flanders, the images that become imprinted in one’s mind are the vast cemeteries with their thousands of white marble headstones. These silent monuments of stone represent…

The Life and Times of a World War I Soldier: The Julius Holthaus Story Chapter 1 — War Beckons A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step. -Lao Tzu June 27, 1918 — Left Home On this day in France, the Avenue Trocadero is named Rue Wilson (Wilson Street) as a testimonial of French gratitude for President Wilson joining the allied war effort. The Associated Press…

The Life and Times of a World War I Soldier: The Julius Holthaus Story Chapter 2 — The Holthaus Family Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me. I lift my lamp beside the golden door. -Plaque on the Statue of Liberty Julius and his family were hyphenated Americans; German-Americans, even…

The Life and Times of a World War I Soldier: The Julius Holthaus Story Chapter 3 — The New Land — Idaho “Go West young man, go West!” When the Holthaus family moved from Iowa to Idaho they were going to a State that overall was very different from that of Iowa…but the farm they purchased was very much like their old “home-place.” From a historical perspective it appears that when people…