Uncle Phil's photo album

When ancestry.com first came online, I searched first through my brickwall line, the Wenz family of NY, NJ, MA and Germany. I found a Philip Henry Wenz on a passenger list, but in 1937. The date of our first Philip’s crossing has yet to be determined, and he passed away in 1907. When I mentioned it to my Mom, she knew all about it. Her Uncle Phil, the first Philip’s grandson and third namesake, had served with the U.S. Army in World War I. In 1937, he was invited as part of the American Legion to visit France as guests of that nation.

When Phil’s only daughter Mary, my mother’s first cousin, passed away, my mother had the task of cleaning out the house. Well, the Wenzes have been known to be keepers, so there were many items of historical value that came to me, including telegrams from WWI, a ration book from WWII, and a large and old photo album with “France” on the cover. It seemed very fragile and very old, but looked fascinating, full of photographs of the journey and events. Almost every photograph had a caption, and the captions included names of his friends. I wanted to scan it, but I was afraid of what damage I would inflict on it if I either took it apart or tried to scan it without taking it apart.

But after conferring with some folks whom I consider experts in the field, I felt more confident about taking it apart to scan on a flatbed scanner. It took a couple of hours, and I had to be systematic about it, but I finished! Glad I could get it done. The quality wasn’t as good as I would have liked, but at least it’s in a format that can be shared with both family and hopefully, descendants of the other folks in the pictures.

"Welcome at Versailles by French War Veterans at the Gate of Honor"

As I waited for each photo to scan, which took a few seconds since I scanned them at a higher d.p.i, I looked at the next one. As I saw the photographs of the war cemeteries and thought about what would be coming in just two years, I felt such heartbreak. As a species, we certainly don’t learn our lessons.

"Lafayette Escadrille Monument dedicated to the Americans who were killed while serving in that unit of aviation. Under this edifice is a long curved chamber containing marble caskets in which are interred those killed while flying and fighting for France. A beautiful monument."

"American Cemetery 5 miles from Paris at Suresnes. Star of David grave marker."

"Meuse-Argonne Cemetery near Romagne, France. Most of those buried here gave their lives during the Meuse-Argonne offensive, the greatest battle in American history."

"The immense field of white crosses arranged in long regular rows on the sloping hillside is a sight once seen will never be forgotten."

"Cemetery in foreground contains 150,000 graves of French soldiers! Over one million men were killed in this section, all unidentified bones were placed in marble caskets now resting in this monument."

"Figure illustrating silence to be so close to a million relics of a million who died in needless warfare compels vocal silence but impels the heart wrung cry of God have mercy!"

"Marshal Petain decorating Dan Doherty with 'Legion of Honor' emblem."

"Grave of American Red Cross Nurse Grace Malloch, Ecrouves Cemetery." 

I don't know if he knew her, but she was from the Boston area.

"Slumming on Queen Mary. Wenz, Jackson, Goretsky"

"The Jacksons - Goretskys - Wenzes"