DragonLady’s World An All-American Southern Geek’s View

This is pretty much a repost from last year. I haven’t received anything via email this year that tops this. I will add this though, the below cemeteries are identified as being just in Europe, but there are more than just the European cemeteries. Additionally, these are just U.S. troops, and (I think) just from WWII. But even if they span both World Wars, it wasn’t just U.S. troops who gave their lives. We had many allies who fought for freedom too. Those we fought paid the ultimate price also, and even if they were on the wrong side, they weren’t all volunteers (any more than all of ours were back then), and many of them also left behind families and friends. I have heard many times that Memorial Day began because of Confederate women who not only decorated Confederate graves, but Union also. One side in war wins, but both sides lose.

In alphabetical order, just Europe …..

1. The American Cemetery at Aisne-Marne, France. A total of 2289 of our military dead.

2. The American Cemetery at Ardennes, Belgium. A total of 5329 of our dead.

We are arrogant.

3. The American Cemetery at Brittany, France. A total of 4410 of our military dead.

Excuse us.

4. Brookwood, England American Cemetery. A total of 468 of our dead.

5. Cambridge, England. 3812 of our military dead.

6. Epinal , France American Cemetery. A total of 5525 of our Military dead.

7. Flanders Field, Belgium. A total of 368 of our military.

8. Florence, Italy. A total of 4402 of our military dead.

9. Henri-Chapelle, Belgium. A total of 7992 of our military dead.

10. Lorraine, France. A total of 10,489 of our military dead.

11. Luxembourg, Luxembourg. A total of 5076 of our military dead.

12. Meuse-Argonne. A total of 14246 of our military dead.

13. Netherlands, Netherlands. A total of 8301 of our military dead.

14. Normandy, France. A total of 9387 of our military dead.

15. Oise-Aisne, France. A total of 6012 of our military dead.

16. Rhone, France. A total of 861 of our military dead.

17. Sicily, Italy. A total of 7861 of our military dead.

18. Somme, France. A total of 1844 of our military dead.

19. St. Mihiel, France. A total of 4153 of our military dead.

20. Suresnes, France. a total of 1541 of our military dead.

IF I ADDED CORRECTLY THE COUNT IS 104,366

Remind those of our sacrifice and don’t confuse arrogance with leadership

The unit to which I was assigned during my time in England held Memorial Day services annually at Madingly American Cemetery near Cambridge. That’s #5 on this list. I only attended one during my last year active duty, and it was a humbling experience.

John 15:13 (King James Version)

13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

Never forget.

All photos from American Battle Monuments Commission.

I was in AF Tech School with orders to Tinker AFB near (as in a suburb town away) Oklahoma City. The hubby was in Biloxi visiting me the week that the Murrah Building was bombed, and was the one who told me about it as he met me for lunch after my classes were over that day. Later, after we were at Tinker, he joined the Army Reserves and one of his senior NCO’s was in the Murrah Building the morning of April 15, 1995 when the truck bomb was detonated. She was injured, but though her physical injuries lingered to an extent, I suspect the emotional toll was much greater. She did not talk about it. There was a young lady in the 32nd CCS (my orders were for the 32nd, but that was changed to the 31st before I arrived) had gone to the Murrah Building that morning also. She had just gotten married, and went to the building to get her name changed on her Social Security card. She did not survive, and many of the friends I later made that knew her continue to mourn such a senseless death.

Since today is really the traditional Memorial Day as opposed to the day off this past Monday, I will post my tribute today. This is an email I received from the director of the organization where I work, and I also received a copy of it from a friend.

In alphabetical order, just Europe …..

1. The American Cemetery at Aisne-Marne, France. A total of 2289 of our military dead.

2. The American Cemetery at Ardennes, Belgium. A total of 5329 of our dead.

We are arrogant.

3. The American Cemetery at Brittany, France. A total of 4410 of our military dead.

Excuse us.

4. Brookwood, England American Cemetery. A total of 468 of our dead.

5. Cambridge, England. 3812 of our military dead.

6. Epinal , France American Cemetery. A total of 5525 of our Military dead.

7. Flanders Field, Belgium. A total of 368 of our military.

8. Florence, Italy. A total of 4402 of our military dead.

9. Henri-Chapelle, Belgium. A total of 7992 of our military dead.

10. Lorraine, France. A total of 10,489 of our military dead.

11. Luxembourg, Luxembourg. A total of 5076 of our military dead.

12. Meuse-Argonne. A total of 14246 of our military dead.

13. Netherlands, Netherlands. A total of 8301 of our military dead.

14. Normandy, France. A total of 9387 of our military dead.

15. Oise-Aisne, France. A total of 6012 of our military dead.

16. Rhone, France. A total of 861 of our military dead.

17. Sicily, Italy. A total of 7861 of our military dead.

18. Somme, France. A total of 1844 of our military dead.

19. St. Mihiel, France. A total of 4153 of our military dead.

20. Suresnes, France. a total of 1541 of our military dead.

IF I ADDED CORRECTLY THE COUNT IS 104,366

Remind those of our sacrifice and don’t confuse arrogance with leadership

The unit to which I was assigned during my time in England held Memorial Day services annually at Madingly American Cemetery near Cambridge. That’s #5 on this list. I only attended one during my last year active duty, and it was a humbling experience.

John 15:13 (King James Version)

13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

Never forget.

All photos from American Battle Monuments Commission.