Patrick K. O'Donnell

And it's the American Expeditionary Force in 1918 that smashes the Hindenburg Line and breaks open the Western Front.

I mean, it's an amazing, it's a slaughter, you know, the front was a slaughterhouse.

of machine guns and gas and poison gas.

Then as the final months of the war drag down, it's a pandemic that just kills tens of millions of people.

It is seared in the minds of those that participated in the Great War.

Arms to State comes about on November 11th at the 11th hour, the 11th minute.

where the guns fall silent, and they fall silent on the Western Front.

And they're searching for a way to sort of commemorate those who have served in the Great War with Armistice Day.

We shifted in June 1, 1954, to Veterans Day to honor.

It's 1954.

The Cold War is in bloom.

And we've already had World War II.

So there's a passing of World War I in this memory.

And now it's to commemorate all veterans who have served.

And the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, where we're visiting now, is sort of the ultimate recognition of that service for all veterans.

That's correct, Steve.

The French are the first to commemorate the service of veterans, and they choose one soldier that is unidentified in their remains, and then they honor that veteran.

And then the British follow.

And then there were about 2,100 American soldiers that were not unidentified.

uh there were unknowns in in world war one and there was a movement here in the united states to bring the boys home there were tens of thousands of american bodies in in europe