November 16, 2018 | Cannon Beach Gazette | cannonbeachgazette.com • 5A
Imagining the great war, a century later
T
here are competing schools of
thought as to the inspiration
for J.R.R. Tolkien’s visions
of Mordor in his epic fantasy
trilogy, The Lord of the Rings.
Some say it was the steelworks
and blast furnaces of the industrialized
West Midlands northwest of Birming-
ham, England. But many others —
including myself — believe Tolkien’s
memories of his British Army service
in the horrific World War I battle of
the Somme were the real catalyst. The
British suffered 57,000 casualties on
the first day of the battle alone. The
campaign would claim almost 1.5
million Allied soldiers, including the
lives of two of his closest friends and
another shortly afterward.
Several passages in the novels
evoke echoes of the blasted moon-
scapes of northern France — the
muddy trenches, the widespread
pestilence, the barbed wire, the deadly
clouds of poisonous gas, the enemy
siege works, and death and destruc-
tion on an unimaginable scale.
For example, as Frodo and Sam
cross the Dead Marshes in The Two
Towers, they see the faces of the dead
below the water. “Grim faces and evil,
and noble faces and sad. Many faces
proud and fair, and weeds in their
silver hair. But all foul, all rotting, all
dead.”
Sunday marks the 100th anni-
versary of the Armistice ending the
war. Memories of one of the most
cataclysmic events in world history
have mostly faded from the public
near Verdun. In 1916, a company of
the French 137th Regiment defend-
ing Fort Douaumont was annihilated
almost to the last man when a German
artillery barrage collapsed the walls of
their earthworks.
They were found with a neat
line of bayonets sticking out of the
ground, still attached to their rifles, a
body buried next to each one. The site
has been preserved nearly intact.
GUEST COLUMN
JIM VAN NOSTRAND
consciousness, as the generation
who fought in it has passed. It is left
to their children and grandchildren
to preserve the accounts of their
sacrifices.
As recounted by reporter Ed-
ward Stratton in today’s newspaper,
Clatsop County residents served the
war effort both overseas and at home.
The Doughboy Monument in Astoria
is the most visible tribute to their
contributions.
Fittingly, a memorial service is
planned for 11 a.m. Sunday at the
monument, marking the 11th hour of
the 11th day of the 11th month. Bells
will ring around the city. A 1 p.m.
event in the Astoria Library’s Flag
Room will include the reading of the
names of 34 county residents who
died in the war.
Before Nov. 11, the war had killed
14 million people over four years,
including 9 million soldiers, sailors
and airmen from 28 countries, accord-
ing to the Associated Press. Almost
11,000 died on the final morning,
many in the final minutes.
“Hurrah!! Hurrah!!,” local Army
veteran William Carl Urell’s diary
from Nov. 11, 1918, reads. “The war
is over at last. Hurrah!!!!!
War story wrapped in fantasy
ASSOCIATED PRESS
American troops carrying rifles with fixed bayonets climb over a sand-
bag revetment in France in 1918.
Tolkien, a young Oxford aca-
demic, was 24 when he arrived at
the Somme that same year. He began
writing the first drafts of his mytholo-
gy about Middle-earth, as he recalled,
“by candle light in bell-tents, even
some down in dugouts under shell
fire,” according to Joseph Loconte, an
associate professor of history at the
King’s College in New York.
“When Frodo returns to the Shire,
his quest at an end, he resembles
not so much the conquering hero as
a shellshocked veteran,” Loconte
wrote in the New York Times in 2016.
“Here is a war story, wrapped in fan-
tasy, that delivers painful truths about
the human predicament.
“Tolkien used the language of
myth not to escape the world, but to
reveal a mythic and heroic quality in
the world as we find it,” he added.
“Perhaps this was the greatest tribute
he could pay to the fallen of the
Somme.”
Jim Van Nostrand is editor of The
Daily Astorian.
Imagining the great war
Walking on hallowed ground
As a young lieutenant serving
in the Army’s 1st Infantry Division,
I had the opportunity in the 1980s
to tour several of the battlefields in
France on which American soldiers
fought — Cantigny, Soissons, St.
Mihiel and the Meuse-Argonne.
At first, it’s hard to imagine the
scenes recounted in diaries and
official unit histories, and depicted in
grainy black-and-white photos from
that era. The Argonne countryside is
a verdant and idyllic place today, full
of lush farms, lakes, thick forests and
picturesque villages.
Then, driving through the region,
the reminders appear. The vast
cemeteries full of crosses. The mass
graves marked by towering monu-
ments. The overgrown outlines of
vast trenchworks and machine-gun
emplacements.
The 1918 Meuse-Argonne offen-
sive, which ended the war, involved
1.2 million American troops and was
a particularly brutal affair, even by the
standards of the day. Fresh, inexpe-
rienced, eager soldiers were thrown
headlong into frontal assaults against
machine guns manned by seasoned
German troops in densely wooded
terrain. Much of the combat devolved
into close-range fighting with pistols,
bayonets and knives.
I thought to myself at the time how
fortunate my grandfather was to have
served on a Navy ship during the war,
not on the front lines in that hellish
fray.
The most haunting memory of the
trip is of the “Trench of the Bayonets”
A timely classic under discussion at the Cannon Beach Library
I
t was the best of times,
it was the worst of times
for participants in Cannon
Beach Reads this past month.
For lack of space, the
comments justifying use of this
famous opening to Charles Dick-
ens’ “A Tale of Two Cities” were
cut from last month’s column.
So, let’s return to why the Can-
non Beach Reads group, led by
discussant Wanda Meyer-Price,
found reading and discussing
“The Handmaid’s Tale,” Marga-
ret Atwood’s popular dystopian
novel, difficult in the wake of the
Brett Kavanaugh hearings. Some
American history helps here.
In 1878, Senator Arlan Sar-
gent first introduced and the U.S.
Senate first rejected words that
would be ratified 42 years later
as the 19th Amendment in 1920,
with razor-thin support from
Tennessee’s House of Repre-
sentatives: “The right of citizens
to vote shall not be abridged by
the United States or any State on
account of sex.”
In 1963, 43 years after wom-
en’s suffrage became the law of
the land, Betty Friedan addressed
“the problem that has no name”
or why life as a housewife with
children in the suburbs left many
women dissatisfied. Friedan’s
“The Feminine Mystique” initi-
ated second-wave feminism.
In 1972, Congress passed
the Equal Rights Amendment
(“Equality of rights under the
law shall not be denied or
abridged by the United States or
by any state on account of sex.”).
Suffragist Alice Paul and others
had lobbied unsuccessfully for
this amendment since 1921. In
1972, 22 states ratified the ERA,
but ratification ended in 1977
with only 35 states approving,
AT THE LIBRARY
JOSEPH BERNT
three states short of passage.
Ratification remained at 35
states for another 40 years until
Nevada in 2017 and Illinois in
2018 ratified the ERA. So, 98
years after ratification of the 19th
Amendment, ERA passage still
awaits approval by another state.
Treating citizens equally takes
time.
That so few states ratified
the ERA after 1972, may have
influenced Atwood to write “The
Handmaid’s Tale” when she did,
but she also wrote during a year
that George Orwell’s “1984”
made significant. Moreover,
1984 brought another reminder
of how long some states would
take to even accept women’s
suffrage.
Mississippi, the last state to
ratify the 19th Amendment, did
so in 1984, the year Atwood
began writing her dystopian
novel that—taking a feminist
standpoint — echoes themes
found in George Orwell’s
“1984”: depersonalization, re-
pression, surveillance, inequality
and continuous war.
Atwood’s novel focuses on
abuse of women as breeders
in a polluted and increasingly
infertile world. Only the “com-
manders” have an opportunity
to foster children by either for-
tunate fertile wives or surrogate
“handmaids,” who copulate
monthly in a perverse ritual.
Always monitored by “aunts”
and “guardians,” handmaids in
Gilead (the United States of the
future) — while considered priv-
ileged and protected as essential
to Gilead’s continued existence
— may not have careers, read,
receive professional education,
communicate with others or
leave commanders’ homes
except to shop for groceries and
Experience Family Dining in
a Relaxed & Friendly
Environment
Serving Seafood, Pizza,
Sandwiches, Espressos, Beer,
Wine, Ice Cream and our
Homemade Desserts
We have a fabulous patio
where you can enjoy the
weather and your meal.
other domestic products. Their
every action literally risks a
death sentence.
It was the best of times and
the worst of times to read “The
Handmaid’s Tale” as the nation
focused on male senators ignor-
ing and refusing to investigate
accusations from women, testi-
mony that a privileged supreme
court nominee with a reputation
for heavy drinking and ag-
gressive behavior had sexually
abused them. What better time to
read a dystopian novel centered
on systemic, legal sexual abuse
and the silencing of women?
But it was the worst of times,
as well, to read what initially
seems an unrealistic critique of
women’s treatment and status.
Had Atwood overreacted? Re-
member, a major concern about
the Kavanaugh nomination was
belief that he would undo Roe v.
Wade, a 1973 decision reached
during the rise of second-wave
feminism.
Remember that Atwood
predicts legal suppression of
the rights of women to own
property, work, hold assets or
control what happens to their
own bodies. Remember how
many state legislatures have
passed laws restricting women’s
access to abortion, birth control,
clinics and family planning —
to limit or repeal Roe v. Wade.
Remember how long women
have sought equal rights with
men, not to mention having
their accusations believed or
seriously investigated by aging
men controlling a Senate hearing
room in 2018.
Yes, it is the best of times
and worst of times to read and
discuss “The Handmaid’s Tale,”
now available at the Cannon
Beach Library.
Five out of the top Ten Brokers in Sales volume in the Clatsop
Multiple Listing Service in 2017 were Windermere Brokers.
Put Windermere to work for you.
GO BIG AND BE HOME!
547 Antler Rd., Cannon Beach
WINDERMERE’S ANNUAL
CMLS#18-463
$699,000
Kate Merrell 503-739-2324
COAT & BLANKET DRIVE
HELP SPREAD THE WORD
SHARE THE WARMTH
by bringing in new and gently
used kids, teens, and adult sized
coats as well as any
size blankets.
NEW INVESTMENT!
NEW PRICE
This massive home is supremely flexible. You can enjoy it
as a single dwelling or share it as two units (up/downstairs)
without compromise, because each bedroom has its own
bath and both levels have covered porches and views of the
mountains and ocean.
MAKE THIS YOUR DREAM HOME
3716 W. Chinook Ave., Cannon Beach
There are plenty of building supplies on site including toilets, tubs
and showers. If you are considering building in Cannon Beach, start
half way there! Ocean views from the third floor. This is an awesome
opportunity to finish this home to suit yourself! Home comes AS IS,
seller will not complete the remodel.
CMLS#18-519
$289,999
Tina Chapman 503-440-9957
“TO-GO”
Orders Welcome
156 N. Hemlock • Cannon Beach
503.436.9551
Owned and Operated by the Cleary Family
LODGES AT CANNON BEACH COZY COTTAGE AMBIANCE
132 E Surfcrest Ave., Cannon Beach 307 Sunset Blvd., Cannon Beach
OUTSTANDING SEASIDE CLASS & DISTINCTION
140 Hilltop Dr., Seaside
The Lodges allow nightly rentals with excellent man-
agement. Fully furnished 2 BR 2 BA townhouse with
gourmet kitchen & fireplaces. 1/12 share factional
ownership. Call for pricing.
CMLS#18-1002 Starting at $75,000
Steve Crane 503-440-6310
Midtown location just 2 blocks to ocean. Private oasis backyard
includes woods on 3 times a standard lot size. One Third Acre!
Detached garage w/guest house. Spacious and one-of-a-kind!
FOR DETAILS CALL 1-800-784-9541 x700.
This elegant, yet comfortable beauty sits on the Western bluff of
Seaside’s Sunset Hills, and has panoramic 180 degree ocean views
from Tillamook Head to the Columbia River. Three master suites plus
bonus bedroom, office, gourmet kitchen, temperature controlled
wine room and so much more!
CMLS#18-777
$699,999
Jackie Weber 503-440-2331
CMLS#18-1239
$875,000
Pam Ackley 503-717-3796
BEST SEAT IN TOWN!
1764 View Point Terr., Cannon Beach
EXTRAORDINARY ARCHITECHURAL GEM
715 Oak St., Cannon Beach
This custom stunner is perched on a premier spot with sweep-
ing sea views. Open, light spaces drink in the majesty of the
ocean and its ever-changing moods. The river rock fireplaces
warm charm-filled spaces while the indulgent custom touches
and accents pamper you.
Located steps away from Chapman Point, the most stunning
beach in the most desirable beach community, this superb
ocean view home was designed and built by the best artisans
with the finest materials. It is also steps away from the trails of
beautiful Ecola State Park.
LOOKING FOR AN INVESTMENT?
132 Surfcrest D-2, Cannon Beach
CMLS#18-1368
$1,249,000
Kate Merrell 503-739-2324
CMLS#18-664
$1,599,999
Tina Chapman 503-440-9957
1/4 SHARE FOR SALE
NEW PRICE
Breathe
easy
Let’s clear the air. And your lungs.
We can help you quit smoking.
Creating health together.
colpachealth.org
M @columbiapacificcco
A CareOregon Company
OWNERSHIP LITE
80179 Pacific Rd., Arch Cape
LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION!
124 E. Madison St., Cannon Beach
You can’t stay full-time at the beach. This home is the perfect
solution. Here is a rare opportunity to purchase ¼ interest in
an adorable beach bungalow. With 3 bedrooms and a bunk
room there is space for everyone. This is the life, for only a
fraction of the price.
One Block to the Beach and a short walk to Town. One story
floor plan with secondary bedrooms divided from the master
suite. Oversized corner lot with abundant parking and attached
sheds. Rental history for vacation tenants to help pay for your
Beach House! Call Talking ad 1-800-784-9541 ext. 421
CMLS#18-674
$199,000
Kate Merrell 503-739-2324
CMLS#18-900
$515,000
Jackie Weber 503-440-2331
CANNON BEACH OFFICE
FACEBOOK.COM/WINDERMERECOAST/
255 N. Hemlock, Ste. B1
Cannon Beach, OR 97110
800/676-1176 • 503/436-1027
INSTAGRAM.COM/WINDERMEREOREGONCOAST/
TWITTER.COM/COASTWINDERMERE
windermereoregoncoast.com
Elegant and cozy craftsman style townhouse, fully furnished
with gourmet kitchen, two fireplaces, close to the beach,
restaurant, bakery and markets. The Lodges allow nightly rent-
als with excellent management by the Inn at Cannon Beach.
CMLS#17-1686
$579,000
Karen Meili 503-440-5806
TIDY TWO-STORY TOWNHOME
1055 5th Ave., Hammond
Two-story townhome in the heart of Hammond. Close to
the Hammond Marina & The Columbia River. Updated
open floor plan with stainless steel appliances and a
gas fireplace
CMLS#18-1338
$239,900
Christy Chaloux Coulombe 503-724-2400
GEARHART OFFICE
588 Pacific Way
Gearhart, OR 97138
800/275-7773 • 503/738-8522
Serving the Entire North Oregon Coast