Now all roads lead to France and heavy is the tread
Of the living; but the dead returning lightly dance.
Edward Thomas, Roads

Saturday, June 15, 2013

Ypres Salient Memorials
From the Collection of Steve Miller

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Two Dramatic Memorials in the Ypres Salient

Both of these monuments are located north of the town of Ypres, Belgium. The stork (insignia of elite French aviators) on the left honors Georges Guynemer, who went missing near Poelkapelle in September 1917 during the Battle of Passchendaele. Just south at the village of St. Julian is the "Brooding Canadian" soldier, honoring the Canadian troops who held the line nearby during the first gas attack on the Western Front in April 1915.

5 comments:

  1. How are we ever to repay these heroes?

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  2. All the individuals of WWI are long forgotten, but the present population crewing the planet is unfortunately repeating the past. Same old fights, more potent weapon systems. It is too bad that human beings really never learn.

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  3. I visit Canadian and British cemeteries here in the UK specifically to find those Americans who served in those countries armies of WW1, They are not forgotten as records are kept, but I do reflect on those Americans who lie in Canadian and British cemeteries far away from home with the possibility of families not knowing where they are.

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  4. I Live not very far from the War Graves and the Ypres Salient I Live in East Flanders on the border of West Flanders where The Battles took Place and where the War Cemeteries are the nearest one to us is" In Flanders Field American first World War cemetery" in Waregem, worth visiting as it is nicely kept, as are all the First World War Cemeteries in West Flanders.

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  5. all of my life, I have lived on the battlefields of the Great War. I can assure you that those young men, who fought for the freedom of us, Belgians, are not being forgotten. The awareness of that part of our history is growing steadily as the centenary is approaching very quickly.
    Over the years, I have welcomed thousands of guests, of whom many were searching for more information of their relatives. It has always been an honour and a pleasure to help those guests, whenever I could.
    Charlotte

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