My Paternal Grandmother lost her only sibling at Croix Rouge Farm, on 26 July 1918, during The War to End All Wars. She was very close to him and she grieved his loss her whole life. She talked about him enough that I felt like I knew the kid. Monroe Suggs served with the 167th Alabama Regiment attached to the Rainbow Division. The unit was described as "unpolished" mostly rural lads from Northern Alabama, I think that "unpolished" means poorly trained. They were just cannon fodder...The attack that Monroe died in was a disaster, the German machine guns cut the boys to pieces. When the first wave was cut down, the survivors were reorganized and sent back for a second dose of the same. The Americans used the same tactics as the Soviets in WWII, just keep spending lives until the other side runs out of bullets.

It may have been easier on the family had they been able to have a funeral and bury him in the family plot, but that wasn't in the cards, he has spent the last 104 years in the Oise-Aisne American Cemetery. To my knowledge, no family member has ever been able to put a poppy on his grave. He was so unimportant, in the grand scheme of things, that you can not even find a photo of his headstone on the WWW.

So, on Monday, I will spend some times thinking back about the stories and honoring my Grandmother and her brother, Pvt. Monroe Suggs, 167th Alabama. Rest in Peace Uncle Monroe.

Earlier this month, I paid off my house mortgage five years early. It left me with no debt. My credit score dropped 50 points.

What are they trying to tell me?

I worked at a major university. About every four months the anti-abortion crowd would set up in the "free speech" common area on campus with giant photos of aborted fetuses for the shock value of the "murdered children." Perhaps we should use the same tack by demonstrating at conservative venues with autopsy photos of gunned down children. Before and after photos. Make them view the fruits of their labors. I know that it is morbid and disgusting, but perhaps we need some shock to wake people up.