A handwritten letter from Pvt. Willis W. Wagener to his family, dated November 7, 1918, four days before the Armistice ended World War I. Writing from Vichy, France, Wagener describes a premature but jubilant celebration among soldiers and civilians sparked by an unconfirmed report of German capitulation, with crowds parading through the streets waving Allied flags. This eyewitness account captures the anticipation and emotional release felt by American troops and French civilians alike in the war's final days. Project: 218249