The Devil Went Loose in the Woods
Allow me to get personal here for a moment. The enjoyment I have for researching the history of Trafford honestly boils down to learning about the people who made this such a wonderful community over multiple generation. I particularly enjoy learning about a person I never knew and then hearing from you, the person reading this post, who may have had an emotional connection to that story. I like when a post touches on an era that brings back fond memories, and yes, Trafford's history can also reflect difficult times from our past, but I believe in the aphorism ... what makes us stronger...
This leads me to the personal part. I had the privilege of having letters from my book read on this gentleman's podcast. Consider listening to his podcast, but don't fret in trying to understand the unit tactics or division/regimental history. Listen for the emotions of the men as he reads from these journals. Mike Chuna reads a passage that placed a young man from Trafford, my grandfather, in an open field in France, facing the Devil in the woods. My grandfather, Andrew A. Capets, rarely talked about the war. I found his commanding officer's journal stored away in an archive in California, brought the words back into the light of day and discovered a very intimate story of survival. To understand why I enjoy researching and writing about local history, listen to Mike narrate this story. Had it not been for these gentlemen who served with my grandfather, putting their thoughts down on paper, I would never have learned about this harrowing event in our family history. Andrew J. Capets
Click to Listen: Meuse Argonne - The Devil Went Loose in the Woods
