Augustin Trébuchon fell near the railway line with his message still in his hand. It read “Rassemblement à 11h 30 pour le ravitaillement – “Muster at 11.30 for food.” He was taking it to his comrades in the French army who were engaged with a German unit. Trébuchon died at 10:45 on November 11, 1918. He is believed to be the last Frenchman to die in the First World War.
That war is particularly characterized by the brutality and inhumanity of the actual combat. Machine guns, invented with the hope of reducing the size of armies and thereby the loss of life, only facilitated massive slaughter. Trench warfare engaged soldiers in desperate attempts to gain minuscule amounts of land. A generation’s faith in the promise of technology and the perfectibility of humanity was shattered. The seeds sown in the Treaty of Versailles erupted into the foul blossom of World War II.
Trébuchon’s death may seem either whimsical — the fault of a vainglorious general who liked the sound of “the 11th hour, of the 11th day, or the 11th month” — or pointless given that the “War to end all wars” didn’t. On this Veteran’s Day, it is humbling to think that there are men and women who have chosen to give Trébuchon’s life meaning by continuing to serve in our military. It is the responsibility of our leaders to guide their service in the direction of bringing freedom and peace to our country and the world. It is our responsibility to make sure our leaders keep this trust.