It was tragic. Here was Pershing's response:

http://www.historynet.com/world-war-i-wasted-lives-on-armistice-day.htm


>I've never been aware of any of my family who even served in either war, let alone died in one. However, my maternal grandfather, whom I never met, died in WWII at Liverpool docks. He was a merchant seaman, doing the convoys, and was home on leave. He got his leg caught by a tram wheel and was dragged to his death.
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>I watched a TV prog c. end of WW I the other day, all about the last day of war. I was astonished to hear of the number of actions that took place, not just on the last day, but even in the last hours. We're talking full frontal assaults - mowed down by m/c guns here. The Hun were happy to just sit in their trenches and let the last few hours tick thankfully by but OUR side had to ruin it with fruitless assaults.
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>http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2008/10_october/23/remembrance6.shtml
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>What was even more surprising was that it wasn't the blundering British generals that ordered more of this particularly senseless slaughter, but the American leaders. One, for instance, wasn't happy with ending sitting in opposite trenches and letting the Germans off, but wanted to overrun them and have them "defeated". I was absolutely gob-smacked to learn this.
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>A further 11,000 troops became casualties in the hours after the Armistice had been signed.
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>>Whenever November 11 rolls around I end up thinking about my uncle who was killed in WWII. He was my mother's favourite brother, and she talks about him from time to time. I wish I'd had the opportunity to have met him.
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>>I have 3 other uncles who served, and they never talk about it other than to mention having run into each other in Italy once or twice.
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>>Thank you to all who served.