Finn Ryan ‘29
Pro Patria Mori
Strange scenes arose last Thursday at the Battle of the Somme memorial in Pas-de-Calais, France, when a group of visitors were met with an unexpected sight: a message from the other side. Walking through the historic battlefield, the tourists were shocked to see a spirit materialize in front of them, and they were even more shocked when the spirit began to speak. The ghost, who identified himself as 16-year-old British infantryman Jack Wilson, was killed in action 109 years ago after a shell landed three yards away from him, rendering the young soldier unconscious and removing a portion of his leg. He lingered in a crater in No Man’s Land for six more hours before eventually succumbing to blood loss, left behind by his division.
The crowd, already rocked to their core after hearing this story in Pvt. Wilson’s still-prepubescent voice, were even more appalled by what he had to say next. “Overall though? Ehh… I’d do it again.” Wilson went on, “You know, it actually was an adventure. I mean, I gotta hand it to the lads on the posters, they really nailed it. I lied about my age to join the army, and it was the best damn decision I ever made. God, it sure beat being at home with those two parents and that baby sister and that dog. Just so boring, y’know?”
The apparition disappeared shortly after, quietly fading into mist over the battlefield where Jack Wilson lost his life over a century ago. When reached for comment, the tourists had mixed reactions. “It’s awful that this poor little boy was convinced to leave his home and travel hundreds of miles away to kill people he doesn’t even know. Think of how many suffered the same fate as him. Just unconscionable,” one had to say. “Hell yeah,” said another. “Well, he clearly loved it. I say let ‘em all join whenever they want.” Jack Wilson’s legacy is a polarizing one.
Featured image courtesy of Second Life Marketplace.com
Copy Edited by Sophia Olbrysh ’28
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