The old war notes I was reading made me think less about speeches and more about boots, mud, and mail.

World War I becomes too large to hold if it stays only on maps. The smaller details bring it back down to human size.

A letter, a tin cup, a torn sleeve, a late supply wagon: these are not side details. They are where the war touched ordinary time.

Remembering it plainly feels more useful than making it grand. Mud has a way of correcting grand language.