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INDIANAPOLIS–One hundred years ago World War I ended. In 1975, people who had served in that war talked with WIBC’s Fred Heckman. The tapes are 46 years old and for a couple of the then-veterans, the last names were lost.

What was not lost was the sentiment that they were proud to have served their country in a was that was, at that time, unparalleled.

LISTEN: WIBC Veteran Interviews

“Everybody was very relieved it was over,” said Gibb. He said the firing had stopped by 11 a.m., on Nov. 11, 1918.

“The boys in our outfit were proud. They were proud to get out of it and they were proud to get out of it alive. It kind of helped ’em. It gave ’em a background for their future,” he said.

Norm remembered rumors about an armistice before, and said by the time the real one happened his colleagues had stopped believing the rumors.

LISTEN: A half hour version of the interviews

“The day before the armistice there were troops scattered in the hills, all over the fields and you didn’t see a light. You didn’t know anybody was around after dark. The next day after the armistice, there were little bonfires all over the landscape, everybody trying to keep warm,” he said.

Norm and Gibb, and Perry Loesch, also interviewed by Heckman all agreed their effort was worth it.

“I think if we hadn’t fought for it, we’d have been in a much worse condition than we are now,” said Gibb.

“I think so, undoubtedly,” said Norm.