While I could never hope (nor want) to compete with AnselmAdorne's extraordinary report of visiting the battlefields of northern France in 2007 (hard to believe that 5 years have passed, since it remains so vivid in my mind), I was in the Ardennes last week and visited a couple of the military cemeteries in and near Sedan.
Here is the link to AA's report: http://www.fodors.com/community/europe/-i-feard-to-set-my-foot-upon-a-dead-mans-cheek---anselm-in-northern-france.cfm
Anyway, as is my wont, I mostly only took photos of what I saw, with a bit of commentary here and there. I think that a lot of you have seen the moving white crosses and stars in many American military cemeteries, but if you would like to see the different nuances in French and German military cemeteries, here is my brief report: http://tinyurl.com/sedan-ardennes
The killing fields of the Ardennes
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Kerouac, thanks for the moving photo tribute to the war dead from WWI and your reference to Anselm Adorne’s fabulous piece about the Canadians’ sacrifice in that conflict – one of my favorites on Fodors.
I agree with your conclusion: “At least France and Germany seem to have learned some important lessons.... but at what price?”
It always irritates me when fellow Americans belittle European lack of military fervor in the latter part of the 20th century. The memory of those blood soaked fields provides an answer.
Funny, this morning I was looking through your past posts to find the piece you did last year on the St. Vincent de Paul and Miraculous Medal chapels near Vaneau Metro. Just wanted to check in case I am in the neighborhood when I return to Paris in June. I’m staying in the 7th.
Kerouac, you may never know how the work you do on Fodors enriches your fellow travelers. As a former English teacher, it makes my day when I meet a former student who actually remembers what we had read!
Merci….
Kerouac - thanks for posting yet another amazing photo essay.
Thanks Kerouac. It's another place I must make sure to visit, along with Verdun. So many lives were lost in these wars for such little purpose.
I was going to ask if anyone else was there, but you answered that towards the end of the report. That is indeed sad.
Thanks for the report, kerouac - I certainly learned a few things.
Actually, the brochure that I picked up at the cemetery said that there are about 500,000 visitors a year at the 200+ German military cemeteries in France. This can be compared to the Colleville (Omaha Beach) American military cemetery, which receives about one million visitors every year at just that one site.
Thank you for this Kerouac. And also for the chance to reread AnselmAdorne's remarkable report.
A double thank-you, Kerouac, for your dignified photo tour, and for reviving the evocative journal by AnselmAdorne.
Sobering report, Kerouac. Thank you for it, and also for bringing Anselm-Adorne's moving report; well worth reading again.
Thank you kerouac for these excellent reports -- both yours and AnselmAdorne's. I have become quite fascinated by the too often forgotten First World War.
kerouac, how interesting to come across this thread of yours with the link to AnselmAdorne's report, just after I spent a good 30 minutes searching to find his thread. I couldn't remember his name but remembered bookmarking his report several years back, so I methodically searched through pages and pages and pages of 'topics you commented on' until I found it - and topped it so I could easily find it again. And here you are with the link and an illustrated report of your own! I too am planning a visit to the same area...