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Letter written by Sergeant Auguste GARROT, eldest of 15 children, 158th Infantry Regiment, fell on the field of honor on 6 April 1916.
My dear parents,
If great misfortune comes, be strong to bear it; you will know that your son fell a glorious death, facing the enemy.
It is you that I defended, my dear parents, it is my homeland, it is the great Republic, one and indivisible.
Thanks to the bloodshed, the peace that my brothers will enjoy will be born. I was the eldest, it was right that I defend them; they will never know, fortunately, the horrors of war.
Father, you can be sure that your son will not have had a minute of failure.
Oh! dad, mom, and all of you my brothers and sisters, until the end I would have had your names on my lips.
Farewell. Long live France!
Source: Last Letters Written by French Soldiers Fallen on the Field of Honor 1914-1918, by L'Union des Pères and Mothers whose sons died for the Fatherland
Reading Sergeant Auguste Garrot's final letter shows the love he had within him for his family and country. His description of the horrors of war and how he hopes his loved ones will never experience what he went through on the battlefield is a testament that his sacrifice was worth something for his country and family. This letter should remind everyone of war's human cost and the importance of striving for peace.
ReplyDeleteIndeed, his persistence and ultimate sacrifice was in hope to spare the younger generation of his family (and France as a whole) the same fate and suffering. Relevant as much today as it was over 100 years ago.
DeleteRIP Sgt. Garrot. We may never know your final moments, but your final wishes remain not only for your family, and country but for all of us who may suffer in war.
DeleteIt has been said that the Great War was the historical event where in France family history intersected with global history. Every family in France was affected in some way. Visit the small towns in the Ardeche, in Brittany or Languedoc ...everywhere.... and you will see a monument in the town center remembering the fallen.
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