Taking a moment this Memorial Day weekend to honor the memory of those who died in wars

I was recently in Verdun and the slaughter was appalling.
Europe is full of these memorials to the folly of man.

Thanks for the timely post, Kent. It's hard to find a town in Europe that doesn't have a memorial monument to those who died in WWI and/or WWII. I've always been touched by them. The cemeteries are also very moving. So many lives lost. It's good to remember. And not just on Memorial Day.

Yes, I was amazed to see the large number of French WW1 dead from just the St. Sulpice parish, engraved on the walls of St. Sulpice on my recent Paris trip.
And the Resistance fighters memorial at Reims.
And, of course, the Deportation memorials behind Notre Dame and in Reims.

Thank you, Kent. Me, too.

Memorial Day is more of an American holiday originally honoring the Union dead eventually extended to honour all Americans lost during military service than a European war remembrance holiday.

May 25 is more of a religious holiday in Europe, Whit Monday, being the day after Pentecost in countries such as Germany and Norway and a bank holiday in the UK. Europe uses Veterans Day to honour the military dead, also known as Armistice Day. Eleventh month eleventh day eleventh hour. Too bad the treaty was a punitive one sowing the seeds for a repeat a generation later.

That said, the day should be a day to remember those lost in battle with the hope conflicts are settled at negotiating tables and not battle fields.

As an old Soldier, I say Amen to the above hopes and prayers.

I was in Victory in Europe Day, in France, a couple of weeks ago. It was not a huge celebration, probably more so in the UK and Canada, don't know about the US, should be big here, but I wasn't here.
A few celebrations in France (well, it's a complicated history). I went to one French celebration, just north of the Louvre, Some older guys, even older than I was.
But the Mairie of Paris had flowers on every site, must have been hundreds of sites throughout Paris.
Nice thing, they honor the Deportation victims, I guess two hundred thousand of them, only 3% ever came back.

Hi Emma,
As always, appreciate your insights.
It's a 3-day holiday weekend over here and most people go shopping, have barbeques.
A lot of Americans paid the "full measure of devotion" to their country (as A. Lincoln said).
And I know that the UK sacrificed a shockingly high percentage of its male military-age population, in WW1, and civilian casualties as well in WW2. I will always remember the memorials outside of English country villages, listing members of the same family killed in action in WW1.
Let's hope for better days in the coming decades.

I guess my point is that there are countries where Memorial Day (whatever day they celebrate it) isn't just a day to go to the mall and eat hot dogs in the backyard.

BTW, Emma, we heard a rumor over here on this side of the pond, the other day--that you and Nigel are still bungee jumping tandem from the London Bridge.
You've got to stop that dangerous stuff! (this was the subject of a previous post last week, that I think you missed, but Nigel promised not to do it anymore).

Kent,

I wasn't aware it was Memorial Day, but I definitely agree that we should remember those who died in wars. Here in Canada, we commemorate losses in wars on 11 November, but there are usually some smaller ceremonies during the year to commemorate the Battle of the Atlantic, Battle of Britain or whatever.

I also strongly agree with your statement "Let's hope for better days in the coming decades". I hope that one day soon, mankind will start to learn from the lessons of the past so we don't have to repeat them.

This is an article about Dutch families that care for graves in American military cemeteries. I have a great uncle buried in Belgium, and a Dutch man does that for him.

American cemetery

On the battle of Verdun and its ensuing horrors, and the aftermath, I suggest Alistair Horne's two books...scholarly, balanced, readable, comprehensive.

I watched the Inwood Memorial Day parade here in NYC today. It's very short--shorter I think than the parades that we used to go to in Crystal Lake, Illinois. But, it had bagpipes, veterans, citizens with patriotic umbrellas, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and local little girls in tutus representing the dance club. Also, there was flyover by fighter Jets that we didn't see, but certainly heard!

One of the kindest, most helpful and wonderful people I knew from work, Rich Bigger, was a Viet Nam vet.. He sadly died this past year, but he had many people thinking of him today. I watched a show on D Day on PBS last night and they interviewed several of the still surviving veterans. I was struck by the comment that one made. He said, I don't remember and pray for them (those who died on D Day) on Memorial Day. I pray for them every day.

Pam