Wilfred Owen 1893-1918The theme this week for the TMTA challenge is Heroes. I decided when I was nearly 40 that I wanted to get a college education; I was a "late bloomer" I suppose, but I do think that at that time in my life, I appreciated the opportunity to learn much more than I would have at a younger age. I majored in English, and discovered Wilfred Owen in a literature course. I have been a big fan of his poetry ever since. Wilfred Owen was a gifted poet who wrote beautiful, often graphic, and always heart-wrenching poetry based on his personal experiences fighting in the trenches for the British during World War I. He was injured badly during his service, suffered shell-shock, and spent some time in a war hospital, recovering. Later on, he returned to the front lines. He was very courageous and a true leader during battles, all the while recording with pencil and paper his impressions of the everyday horrors he and his comrades faced during the war. Tragically, he was killed in action, just one week before the war ended, and was posthumously awarded the Military Cross for his leadership and for his courage. He was only 25 years old when he died; he's buried at the British Cemetery at Ors, in Northern France. (By the way, the torn paper near the top of the ATC is a miniature copy of the actual Service Report telling of his death.)
