Veterans Day

Depending on where you are today, you are observing Veterans Day, Remembrance Day and/or Armistice Day - or you are just sleeping in.

November 11th - marking the end of major hostilities of World War I - is a big deal in Europe.  As the war was fought on local soil this makes sense.

One can not travel in Europe without noticing these memorials everywhere.  Every town (even the teeny tiny ones) has a monument that looks similar to this one.

They are small obelisks honoring the town's soldiers who fought and died in World War I.  Often there is an additional plaque noting that the memorial also honors the World War II dead as well.  (It is there in the photo - it's the long rectangle between the stone facade with writing and the base with the dates of WWI)

Kyle will be spending the day with some British people we know from church tracing some battle lines and visiting cemeteries where soldiers are buried.  I'll be playing chauffeur to Kyra's dance engagements and Allen, well, he's sleeping in.

American World War II Cemetery in Luxembourg

Before leaving the capital city area we stopped at the Luxembourg American Cemetery and Memorial .  Here lie 5,076 American soldiers, most of whom died in the Battle of the Bulge.  The grounds of this cemetery were beautiful and well-kept.  The graves are laid out in a gently curving pattern in a quiet and reverent setting.

Part of the memorial included displays of the D-Day invasion and the Battle of the Bulge.  This enabled Kyle to show Allen and Kyra the movement of armies in Europe, including areas where we have been.

General George Patton is buried in this cemetery.  His grave is set apart from the others but his grave stone is no bigger nor more grand than a private's grave marker.

Towards the entrance of the cemetery is a small but tall stone chapel.   On its side is an inscription which reads:

IN PROUD REMEMBRANCE OF THE ACHIEVEMENTS 

OF HER SONS AND IN HUMBLE TRIBUTE TO THEIR SACRIFICES 

THIS MEMORIAL HAS BEEN ERECTED BY 

THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 

Neither Allen nor Kyra has studied World War II in school yet, but they are already learning about what happened as they walk the ground were battles have been fought.  By the time they study it, either here or in the US, they will have a better feel for the places involved and the sacrifices made.