battle-of-the-somme

Today words like 'persevere' and 'hero__ death' had been so ceaselessly bandied about that they had long since acquired an ironic sound__t least wherever there was actual fighting. . . . Once, before an attack, Sturm had heard an old sergeant say the following: 'Kids, we__e going over there now to gobble up the Englishmen__ rations.' It was the best battle address that he had ever heard. That was surely something good in the war__hat it destroyed glorious-sounding phrases. Concepts that hung fleshless in the void were overcome by laughter.