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American War Cemeteries

Discussion in 'WWII Films & TV' started by texson66, May 26, 2009.

  1. texson66

    texson66 Ace

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    PBS presented this program, "Hallowed Ground" on American cemeteries created abroad after WWI and WWII on Memorial Day. It was a very moving experience to follow the battles in Europe and the Pacific and then see the resultant Memorial Battlefield cemeteries.

    The program pointed out how the school children of Europe and the PI are reminded of the sacrifice of Americans for their freedom in two world wars. I was very happy to see this....I just wish American kids could visit just one such cemetery to learn that freedom isnt free.
     
  2. Col.Pickle

    Col.Pickle Member

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    sounds good! I wish I could've caught that, those endless rows of little white crosses really can choke me up sometimes, I must admit.
     
  3. gtblackwell

    gtblackwell Member Emeritus

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    I feel very fortunate to have visited the ones at Omaha Beach, near Chateau Thierry and just south of Florence. It imparts a deep emotional feeling to see countless crosses interspersed with Stars of David. They are beautifully maintained. One also finds English, French and German cemeteries , all telling of the hundreds of thousands of young men who died, soldiers all. I found a tiny WW 1 German cemetery about 15 kilometers north of Belleau Woods with cast iron crosses of iron, 18 if I remember, in the edge of a French farmer's field. Malmedy has a monument to the POW massacre .
    More recently while in Alsace-Lorraine I came across two Sherman's, one north of Saverne and the other just outside Strasbourg. they were impeccably maintained , with plaques and flowers , Patton would be proud of the obvious spit and polish done by the French. A fair number of examples of German armor can be found throughout the Ardenne but in poor condition. Not the impact of a cemetery by any means but telling. A very moving experience is the U-Boat memorial at Kiel with the names of all of the German sailors who died in them , 28,000+ carved into it.

    I hope I get to see that program.....If one did not get choked up it would be hard to understand.

    GB











    Gaines
     
  4. J.A. Costigan

    J.A. Costigan Member

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    Me and my school visited the D-Day cemeteries on the France trip, it was a great expirience.
     
  5. macrusk

    macrusk Proud Daughter of a Canadian WWII Veteran

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    Thanks, JR. I missed the PBS Memorial Day programs for the first time in years. I know I would have enjoyed this. I'll look out for it and hope they run it again at another time during the year.
     
  6. Gromit801

    Gromit801 Member

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    Real or legend, but good to read:

    In 1966 upon being told that President Charles DeGaulle had taken France out of NATO and that all U.S. Troops must be evacuated off of French soil President Lyndon Johnson mentioned to Secretary of State Dean Rusk that he should ask DeGaulle about the Americans buried in France. Dean implied in his answer that that DeGaulle should not really be asked that in the meeting at which point President Johnson then told Secretary of State Dean Rusk:

    "Ask him about the cemeteries Dean!"

    That made it into a Presidential Order so he had to ask President DeGaulle.

    So at end of the meeting Dean did ask DeGaulle if his order to remove all U.S. troops from French soil also included the 60,000+ soldier buried in France from World War I and World War II.

    DeGaulle, embarrassed, got up and left and never answered.
     
  7. Half Pint

    Half Pint Member

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    Gen Collin Powell made a statement along the lines that the only piece of foreign soil that we ever conquered was just enough to bury our fallen.

    HP
     

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