Wednesday, November 30, 2022
Whale Watching, Northern Iceland - Top of the World, Days 22 and 23
Tuesday, November 15, 2022
Around the Top of the World: Days 20 and 21 - Iceland's East Fjords
Here's another installment in the report of my tour around the North from Svalbard to Alaska's Bering Strait.
These two days found me continuing my guided Ring Road tour around Iceland. On the morning of Day 20 our first stop was the town of Höfn. It was a clear, calm, misty morning along the east coast. We parked on the end of a peninsula at the start of a trail simply called the "Nature Trail" (Iceland has a habit of severely over-simplifying its place names in general - for example the name of the largest glacier on the whole continent of Europe is simply called 'Water Glacier').
The "Nature Trail" followed this beautiful coast (where the photo above was shot), but also has appeal if the weather is murky, because arranged along the trail is a miniature correctly-scaled version of our solar system. The Sun is the size of a beach ball,
Friday, November 11, 2022
Veterans Day tribute to my Grandpa Dutch
George Gustav “Dutch” Auler was born on December 21, 1899. When the US entered the Great War in early 1917, he was only 17 years of age. The war in Europe was the dominant subject of conversation, and Grandpa decided to enlist in the army even before the US formally declared war on Germany on April 6, 1917. Grandpa enlisted on March 3rd, lying about his age to get in. He was 17 years, two months, and thirteen days old.
At the time the US Army had only 127,151 soldiers in uniform. Compare that with the German army’s 11 million. The US needed lots more bodies in uniform fast. So since not nearly enough people were enlisting fast enough, a new draft was enacted into law on May 18, 1917.
The draft had a shady history in the US. There had last been conscription in the Civil War, but it had loopholes that allowed rich people to pay somebody to take their place. That’s how my great Grandmother’s brother, Lewis G. Butzow, newly immigrated from Germany, joined the civil war. He wasn’t even a citizen yet. But a kick-start in this new country in the form of $250 cash from some rich man seemed like it was too good for him to pass up. He served honorably. But let’s get back to the current story.
The US was ramping up its war infrastructure at a frantic pace, opening and expanding boot camps around the country. Grandpa Dutch was called into the army in one of the first waves of call-ups, on June 20th, 1917, and after a short stop at Camp Douglas in Wisconsin he was sent to boot camp at Camp McArthur in Waco, TX. Here, in his own handwriting, is an autobiographical sketch of the events:
if possible. Would also like to have some news from some of my relatives.
Knew about Harry Barnes some time ago. Many things are happening over here and I also see many things but I cannot tell you about. Some of the happenings that I have to hold back would may (make) the people at home very happy and the others would make them very sad.
Everything is the same with me. We have changed fronts again and this one makes the 5th one we were at. 4 of them
near. Don’t forget to write often and send some pictures.
Best regards from
Your Bro
George G. Auler
“Batt A” 121st F.A
A.E.F A.P.O 734
Censored By
Capt. B.O. Reynolds
(N.I.A.?)
Gondrecourt, France
March 30, 1919
Dear Sis:-
I received your letter of many questions today. I will answer it immediately or rather the questions.
We shall sail for America the early part of May and I expect to be home by May 25.
I sent beaucoupe postals from the place I spent my 7 day furlough. I expect to go on another leave soon. I also sent a Battery picture and Book of A.E.F. cartoons. Let me no (know) when you get them.
We, the 57 Brigade, which is the 119th, 120th, 121st, and 147th F.A. has not been in Germany and