'The Anguish of War': Author keeping memories of fallen Windsor-Essex soldiers alive
For Gene Lotz, the spark of curiosity to delve into the history of those who served in war only began when the answers became difficult to find.
The son of a veteran, Lotz said it wasn’t until after his father and father-in-law passed away that he began asking questions about those who were in combat.
“I probably should have asked them while they were alive,” Lotz chuckled. “I wanted to understand what could cause a young man or woman from this area to put themselves in harm's way on the other side of the world.”
This Remembrance Day will mark two years since Lotz finished one of his largest efforts to find an answer, which is the two-volume book ‘The Anguish of War.’
The book details the life and death of more than 1,600 people from the Windsor-Essex region who died in combat.
“That number just was mind-boggling to me, that's a substantial part of our history and I couldn't believe it was that many young people that were lost,” Lotz told CTV News.
Windsor Author Gene Lotz, right, said his granddaughter Jane, left, will be bring his book, The Anguish of War, to school as part of Remembrance Day, seen on Nov. 10, 2024. (Robert Lothian/CTV News Windsor) Over more than 20 years, Lotz compiled leaflets, news clippings, and archived information.
In his effort to put a life and face to the war dead, Lotz said his book has prompted families to come forward with more stories of their loved ones.
In one instance, Lotz said his work helped a local family better understand their uncle’s death, “Well, I looked in the book and said, well, he didn’t die at Dieppe.”
He continued, “He was wounded at Dieppe, and he was taken by train back to Germany, and he passed away back in Germany in the hospital.”
On Monday, Lotz’s granddaughter Jane will bring his book to her class as part of Remembrance Day. While the stories inside detail lives lost in now-finished wars, Lotz feels many of the themes are still present.
“The Anglo-Boer War was the British Empire trying to reestablish itself and we're seeing that today in Ukraine, where the Russian Empire is trying to re-establish its dominance in the world,” Lotz said.
Reflecting on the book’s significance, Lotz said even decades or centuries later, there’s a need to remember the price that was paid.
“I was once asked, why didn't I call this book The Glory of War? I told that individual that there is no glory in war and the only person you have to ask is a veteran.”
As part of the next chapter in his life, Lotz said he’s working to detail the Battle of Windsor took place in the 1830s.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadians across the country mark Remembrance Day
Today Canadians will remember and honour the sacrifice of men and women in uniform who gave their lives in service of the country's values and principles.
Canada cancels automatic 10-year multiple-entry visas, tightens rules
Canada has announced changes to their visitor visa policies, effectively ending the automatic issuance of 10-year multiple-entry visas, according to new rules outlined by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.
Mattel says it 'deeply' regrets misprint on 'Wicked' dolls packaging that links to porn site
Toy giant Mattel says it 'deeply' regrets an error on the packaging of its 'Wicked' movie-themed dolls, which mistakenly links toy buyers to a pornographic website.
Trump names Stephen Miller to be deputy chief of policy in new administration
Donald Trump is naming longtime adviser Stephen Miller, an immigration hard-liner, to be the deputy chief of policy in his new administration.
Alien-like signal from 2023 has been decoded. The next step is to figure out what it means
If Earth's astronomical observatories were to pick up a signal from outer space, it would need an all-hands-on-deck effort to decipher the extraterrestrial message. A father-daughter team of citizen scientists recently deciphered the message. Its meaning, however, remains a mystery.
Family of Second World War veteran killed in France shares his life and legacy
Two nephews of the beloved Harry R. Hamilton share stories about his life and legacy.
Bleeding and in pain, a woman endured a harrowing wait for miscarriage care due to Georgia's restrictive abortion law
Since the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 Dobbs decision eliminated the federal right to abortion, miscarriage management has become trickier and in some cases, deadlier.
Montreal dockworkers reject deal with lockout to begin
The union representing some 1,200 dockworkers at the Port of Montreal has overwhelmingly rejected a deal with their employers association.
His wife was swept away by Hurricane Helene’s floodwaters. Now he’s been scammed out of nearly US$40,000
Rod Ashby was desperate to find his wife Kim Ashby after their newly built home in Elk Park, North Carolina, was swept away by Hurricane Helene’s floodwaters in late September and she went missing.