“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” Jesus (John 15:13)
Inside a posh railroad dining car, in the early hours of November 11, 1918, the two men met for final negotiations. Deep in the cold and war-torn forests of Compiègne, north of Paris, The French commander-in-chief of the Allied forces, Ferdinand Foch, sat before the Germany’s delegation leader, Matthias Erzberger. 1 At this point, the First World War had been the deadliest in known history claiming 8.5 million military lives, with the last month of trench warfare killing tens of thousands alone. All these souls were lost only to advance the line a few hundred yards in either direction. Matthias was a Catholic who really did want to end the war, but he was in a difficult position. Knowing Germany’s dwindling army was starving to death and could not keep sending men to their deaths with nothing to show for it, he was also painfully aware that the agreement Foch placed before him to sign would cripple his fatherland militarily and economically for years to come.
Not only did Foch know that Germany was losing and couldn’t keep up the fight, he acted like it. He conceded next to nothing. So with no real options and very little negotiating, Matthias, with a few other German representatives, reluctantly autographed the armistice to end the bloodshed of the First World War. Upon signing it, at 5:00 a.m., Foch peculiarly but symmetrically declared that the war would end with a ceasefire on the 11th hour, of the 11th day, of the 11th month. The German delegation could do nothing in response except wait — six more hours.
In those short six hours nearly 8,000 troops would be injured and 3,000 would die. About 320 of them would be American casualties.
One of them was a 23-year-old named Henry Gunther. Born of German immigrants and living in Baltimore, Henry soon found himself in France being drafted into the service as a supply sergeant in July of 1918. Like many other young men his age in the 313th Infantry Regiment, the war separated him from his fiancee. Not surprisingly, given the dismal and bloody conditions of trench warfare, it didn’t take long for Henry to write a friend back home about thinking twice before enlisting to serve in the war. But his letter was intercepted by military censors and the German immigrant was now viewed with suspicion and demoted to private.
Becoming despondent not only from the demotion, but from his fiancee backing out of their engagement, Henry unexpectedly decided to offer his services as a runner, one of the more dangerous duties of the time. While field telephones were used in the war, they required large coils of copper wire, were at times unreliable, and close to nonexistent in the front lines of battle. Because of this, the military relied on lightly armed runners to communicate news to and from various positions. Soon after beginning, Henry was hit with shrapnel. With his hand suffering injuries, the young man was offered a chance to go home but surprisingly stayed, continuing to run for his battalion.
Then, on November 11, at 10:44 a.m. a fellow runner made it to Henry’s regiment informing the troops to cease fighting. In just sixteen minutes, the war to end all wars would finally end. The armistice just signed nearly six hours before would soon be enacted. But instead of waiting it out as various German, French, English, and American troops did, (given the temperament of their commanders) some forces were ordered to continue fighting until the last minute. Henry’s battalion, known as “Baltimore’s Own” was one such group.
Knowing quite well the war was soon to end, Henry picked up his rifle, fixed his bayonet, and to the bewilderment of his fellow soldiers, charged a roadblock being guarded with two fortified German machine gun squads. It’s impossible to know why Henry charged alone towards the immovable piece of German artillery. Maybe he wanted it to show his patriotism or maybe he wanted to regain his stripes. But with reasons unknown to everyone but himself, and despite his fellow servicemen’s pleas to stop, Henry continued to attack toward the blockade. As he advanced slowly through the thick mud, a five-burst-round from a confused German’s automatic gun struck Henry in the head killing him instantly.
The time was 10:59 a.m.
Literally and figuratively Henry Gunther died in the eleventh hour of World War 1. He received the Distinguished Service Cross for his actions and would be posthumously reinstated to sergeant three years later. In 1923 Gunther's remains were returned to the United States “after being exhumed from a military cemetery in France and buried at the Most Holy Redeemer Cemetery in Baltimore.” 2 Then on November 11, 2010, at 10:59 a.m. the German Society of Maryland unveiled a new memorial plaque on his grave commemorating his life.
In the aftermath of the War, November 11 would undoubtedly become a solemn day of remembrance to many countries across the world. To mourn the nearly 9 million military personnel lost, in additional to 10 million civilian lives, November 11 would be remembered as Armistice Day. Although it was first celebrated in the following year, it wouldn’t become a permanent and legal holiday in the United States until 1926. But it wasn’t until 1954, in order to remember not only those Americans that served in World War 1 but World War 2 and the Korean War as well, that Armistice Day officially changed to Veterans Day. Presently, Veterans Day acknowledges and honors all service men and women of the United States Armed Forces.
The death of Henry Gunther along with all the other soldiers and civilians who died for freedom, is revered and should always be received with gratitude. But Henry’s unique situation is mysterious given that he didn’t have to die. We will never know why he chose to sacrifice his life minutes before the end of the war; we just know that he did. And for that alone, we remain grateful and thankful to him — for he showed us the greater love in laying down his life for the benefit of others.
“Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you: Jesus Christ and the American Soldier. One died for your soul, the other for your freedom.” 3
Let's remember them both this week - and every week after that.
Micah Coate, President and Host of Salvation and Stuff
Matthias Erzberger would be murdered nearly three years later by German extremists who thought they were betrayed by Matthias signing the armistice.
Meyer, Eugene (November 1, 2008). "The Unknown Soldier". Maryland Life. Archived from the original on December 29, 2010. Retrieved October 25, 2012, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Gunther
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