1. What do you notice? What do you wonder?
I noticed Zenos R. Miller World War I Diaries - Diary 2 because I knew it was in the form of a Diary documenting WW1. The reason I chose this article is because I wanted to know the soldiers' combat status at WW1. From the author's diary, I learned that many diaries are records of the author's daily training and activities. It seems like a normal schedule, but things are tight.
2.Source:https://transcription.si.edu/view/17875/NASM-NASM-9A16128-201-202
This is the diary of Zenos R. Miller. Zenos R. Miller was a pilot with the 27th Aero Squadron of the United States Air Service during World War I. The diary records what happened to Miller in 1918. This diary records Miller shooting down the Fokker biplane, but unfortunately he is missing. He was later detained as a prisoner of war.
3. Context:
On April 2, 1917, Wilson asked Congress to declare war on Germany for what he described as unprovoked attacks on American lives and property. In the spring of 1918, the Germans launched a major series of attacks, finally breaking the stalemate and advancing all along the Western Front. U.S. forces were thrown into action, and helped turn back the German assault. Over the summer and into the fall of 1918, the Americans played an emerging role as the Allies finally pushed back the Germans on the Western Front. Finally, on the morning of November 11, 1918, Germany signed an armistice that brought the fighting to an end. In 1918, a crucial year, Miller was released after Germany signed an armistice. He made a note in his diary.
Works Cited
https://maryklann.wixsite.com/hist110/post/module-14-world-war-i
4.Implications/Conclusions:
In my opinion, Miller's diary is a meaningful historical account. From his diary, we learn about the daily life, training and experience of soldiers in the army during World War I. These experiences are invaluable information. In his diary, we learn the details of American history. All we know from Miller's record is his experience. And he was lucky to be released. However, during World War I, in America’s relatively brief involvement, it suffered over 116,000 military deaths and 200,000 wounded. Against this backdrop of loss and suffering, what is the point of war. This is worth pondering. And let us learn from history.
5.Discussion Question: What do you think about the Diary? Does it have historical significance？
Hi Peihong! I definitely think this diary has historical significance. As you noted in your post, we can get some really personal details about this momentous event through Miller's diary. I appreciated how you noted that Miller marked down the armistice in his diary, as well as all of his daily tasks and tight schedule. Thinking about how these mundane details mix with the big events is really the way we can fully understand the past.