Veteran's Day 2017
One month ago we undertook our first truly large travel day in terms of both time and distance; which would be subsequently surpassed in only a few short weeks . Being affiliated with the military makes Memorial Day and Veteran's Day special each year. 2017 has been doubly so with how we decided to celebrate them. This past May, we had the privilege of visiting Arlington National Cemetery for the morning. Arlington is always a somber occasion, and this time we were honored to be given yellow roses to place on one of the many headstones across the grounds. After being turned away from the wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknowns due to being beyond capacity, we returned to a stretch of additional unknown soldier grave sites (there are countless throughout Arlington) and elected to honor those men known only to God. My favorite memory of that day was watching Will gently placing his rose on a headstone.
Even though Friday was the federal holiday observance, we opted to delay our activities until Saturday to coincide with the official holiday. Our day began at the Saint Mihiel American Cemetery near Thiaucourt-Regniéville, France. St. Mihiel is one of 21 cemeteries scattered across Europe and managed by the American Battlefield Monuments Commission, is 40.5 acres in size and contains the graves of 4153. St. Mihiel is a World War I focused site which was fitting for why we remember our Veterans each November.
While the United States has since broadened the meaning to the all-encompassing "Veteran's Day," today's international holiday began as "Remembrance Day" in 1919 to commemorate the armistice between the Allies and Germany signed at Compiègne, France ending open combat across the Western Front. Fittingly, the armistice took effect at 11 am on the 11th day of the 11th month. To this day, it its still observed throughout the world, most notable in the UK, Australia, Canada, France, Belgium, and The Netherlands.
A steady, blowing rain had been present since early in the morning and continued as we walked the grounds. This past Memorial Day notwithstanding, most of our visits to hallowed grounds encounter drearier weather--our visit to the USS Arizona Memorial in 2008 comes to mind. Strolling the grounds, once can't help but to read the dates of death of these Americans. Looking back across history, St. Mihiel is extremely sobering as many of these Americans died a mere two months or fewer prior to the armistice coming into effect.
While the United States has since broadened the meaning to the all-encompassing "Veteran's Day," today's international holiday began as "Remembrance Day" in 1919 to commemorate the armistice between the Allies and Germany signed at Compiègne, France ending open combat across the Western Front. Fittingly, the armistice took effect at 11 am on the 11th day of the 11th month. To this day, it its still observed throughout the world, most notable in the UK, Australia, Canada, France, Belgium, and The Netherlands.
A steady, blowing rain had been present since early in the morning and continued as we walked the grounds. This past Memorial Day notwithstanding, most of our visits to hallowed grounds encounter drearier weather--our visit to the USS Arizona Memorial in 2008 comes to mind. Strolling the grounds, once can't help but to read the dates of death of these Americans. Looking back across history, St. Mihiel is extremely sobering as many of these Americans died a mere two months or fewer prior to the armistice coming into effect.
Following our visit to St. Mihiel, we set off on a 35 minute drive northwest toward Verdun. Verdun was the site of a 300 day battle that saw more than 60 million combined artillery shells fired by the Allies and the Germans. The Verdun Memorial is located on a ridge northeast of the city of Verdun. As you drive to the crest of the ridge, the land begins showing the effects of the battle. The entire landscape is pot-marked from the artillery barrage, and the remains of the village of Fleury-devant Douaumont are located just northwest of the museum.
The memorial itself is one of the best battlefield museums I've ever visited. In addition to the normal entrance tariffs, a military discounted ticket was also available, and was extended to us even though we were not French military members. The museum is two-stories and walks the visitor through the entire 300 days of battle. Static displays are broken up by interactive and video displays. The boys enjoyed listening to these interactive listening stations, even if they constantly switched the audio between French, English and German!
One of my favorite displays in the entire museum was a display of medals earned by Frenchmen who fought in the campaign. The Verdun Medal itself is very simple, yet dignified. The medal carries the inscription "They Shall Not Pass," which again, I cannot help but to imagine inspired Tolkien when writing the battle of Moria in The Fellowship of the Ring.Veteran's Day 2017 was a memorable one and I whole heartedly recommend visiting the Verdun Memorial if you have any interest in military history.
