I am very proud of all my children, especially my oldest son, Paulie. He is smart, compassionate and is growing into a fine young man.

What’s gratifying to me, though, is that he is developing a genuine love for history. As a child of two historians, he has always been exposed to our past, either through TV shows, books, trips to historic sites or the constant chatter from my wife and I about what we remember from the past and how things have changed. He likes to tease us when we start a story with the phrase “well, back in my day …”

A huge part of his interest in so many things comes from his love of reading. That, I owe all to my wife. She has inspired him to read with a strong appetite for learning and the list of books he has already devoured is impressive at his age, in my opinion. He certainly is taking after my wife, who read the entire “Lord of the Rings” trilogy for a college course in one week — I would rather not say how long it took me to read, but rest assured it was much longer than a week to be sure.

My son is following suit.

A book he recently finished was “All Quiet on the Western Front,” by Erich Remarque. I am sure most of you readers know that this is a story about the brutalities, struggles and experiences of German soldiers in World War I. When my son told me he was reading it, I wasn’t a bit surprised, except that it is pretty violent. But that is what World War I was.

Looking back to that time period in our history is hard and I think for many in our area, it can be a complicated event. Just looking at my own family history, I had three great-grandfathers who were soldiers and at least four great, great-uncles — my great-grandparents’ siblings who fought in different armies in the war.

Since many of them were immigrants, many fought for their home nations, although one of my ancestors served in the American Army.

Most of my ancestors fought for Italy, including two of my great-grandfathers, but my great-grandfather, Albin Kaminski ,fought for Poland during World War I. He lived in Pittsburgh at the time, but joined up with other Polish immigrants as part of what is known as Haller’s Army.

These volunteers were typically immigrants who were not eligible for the U.S. draft but wanted to fight for their Polish homeland.

The army was recruited in the United States and trained in Canada before being sent to the front, fighting as a part of the French Army. My great-grandfather, Albin, and his brother served in the conflict, in addition to seven others from the Weirton and Steubenville area. Author Paul S. Valasek in his book, “Haller’s Polish Army in France,” describes this unique part of American history very well.

In Steubenville during the first world war, thousands of soldiers went off to war overseas. These folks came from all different walks of life, but they all came together when our country needed it most. Looking through primary source documentation is quite a job, as there is so much written on World War I in our area. The Public Library of Steubenville and Jefferson County holds many resources on the war online on the Digital Shoebox in a searchable format. One can read about the war from the accounts of the paper and by those who lived it each day.

For those who want a general overview of the war in Steubenville, one should see the 1947 Steubenville Sesquicentennial book, which describes the conflict in more digestible terms. According to the book, when the United States declared war on Germany in 1917, Company F, 10th Ohio Infantry, 37th Division, was recruited on the second floor of the Sarratt Building.

Randall L. Buchanan was the first Steubenville volunteer. Soldiers moved about on the streets and camped and trained on the grounds of the Steubenville Country Club. Like in World War II, the idea of enemy sabotage was a real concern for our area. Due to the fact we were a large manufacturing center, residents were on high alert. According to the 1947 book, soldiers came to guard the Pennsylvania Railroad bridge. While not on duty, soldiers camped under the bridge on LaBelle Avenue.

Also like during World War II, there were war savings bond and war stamp drives among other things. And most of the city’s industry pivoted to war production on an industrial scale.

When news of the armistice came on Nov. 11, 1918, the city of Steubenville exploded in celebrations. According to the Steubenville Herald-Star, in their edition that day, “Steubenville and surrounding county was awakened from slumber long before daylight this morning with the joyful news that the German government had signed the allied armistice, accepted all peace terms and the greatest war in all history was at an end. A giant PEACE bulletin was placed upon the Herald-Star and Helms bulletin boards at 4:30 … Shrieking whistles and clanging bells was to the expectant and light sleeping city the glorious tidings and within a few minutes citizens came tumbling from their beds and into the street, shouting, cheering and crying with joy.”

Later that day, according to the paper, thousands of citizens assembled in front of the newspaper office and began a victory parade through town. Businesses and schools closed, and all poured onto the street for celebrations that took place that day. The Herald-Star published a special edition and sold 3,500 copies.

When World War I ended, no one could imagine that in just a few decades our nation would be thrown into another bloody and difficult conflict that was World War II. With the joy that the armistice brought, many soldiers did not return home, as they gave the ultimate sacrifice for freedom.

On that day, however, there was much joy in Steubenville. As my son could tell you though, the war was a violent, deadly, terrible experience for many.

Some would never be the same after surviving it. I am thankful that my ancestors survived and went on to live out their days in our community, making it possible for my son to learn all he can about what they went through to survive that traumatic event in world history.

(Zuros is the executive director of Historic Fort Steuben)