An Imperative Sense of Duty

[caption id="attachment_9763" align="aligncenter" width="391"] Felix Schwormstädt 1917[/caption]

"Heavy indeed is the burden of the infantry in this as in other wars. They have to endure the heaviest bombardments of the enemy, lying quietly in dirt and mud, in damp and cold, hungry and thirsty, or huddled in dug-outs, holes, and cellars, they must await the overpowering assault, until, leaving the safety of their shelters, face to face with death, they must rise to meet the destroying storm. Such is their life. It can be endured only when discipline has prepared the way, and when a deep love of the Fatherland and an imperative sense of duty fill the heart. The glory is great. But the highest reward lies in the proud consciousness of having served the Fatherland more than all others, and in the sense that one's own courage has wrung victory out of the battle. Those who have stayed at home cannot picture it to themselves too often. Before such heroism they must bow the head in silence—and not talk."

My War Memories : 1914-1918 / by General Ludendorff