The Wildgoose Chase

I met Chelsea Pensioner Walter Wildgoose in 1977 when he was 87 and I was 26. Through a series of letters written over the last year of his life, he passed along his life story - the workhouse children's home, a life in the British Army witnessing the opening battles of World War I and life in India, a remarkable family surviving the bombs of World War II London. This blog will document my research and progress on the novel I'm writing about this amazing man.

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Remembering: November 11, 2010

Remembering and honoring all veterans, but especially the ones who survived for that first Armistice Day, November 11, 1918.

A couple of weeks ago, I was in London and paid a visit to the Royal Hospital Chelsea, where Walter was a resident at the end of his life. The grounds were lovely and peaceful (I didn't go inside) and reminded me of the times I'd sat with Walter in Ranelagh Gardens or walked toward the Chelsea Embankment listening to him recount events of his long life.

I still feel very privileged to have known Walter. His story enriched my life and my appreciation of the role the common man plays in history.
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posted by MaryB @ 6:31 AM  

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