" A Day Too Late"
This tombstone I found at the American Cemetary not far from Verdun-I had talked about it a bit in an earlier posting. I am sorry that I am a day late today.
When my friend Patrick took me and Ian to this American Cemetary-the largest outside of American Soil, it was a very grey, rainy and dreary. It was already a very sobering and meloncholy day. If you spend any amount of time touring the area around Verdun, you can very easily get overwhelmed with amount of death and destruction that took place in the Ardennes and in the Lorraine during WWI and WWII. What struck me about this white cross that marked the final resting place for an American Soldier from Pennsylvania was the date he died: 10 November 1918-exactly one day before the Armistice was signed that halted armed hostilities. At least it was supposed to.
The next day, when we were having a beer in the pub at the Chateau Fort in Sedan,
Patrick told me and Ian how on the morning of November 11th, 1918, a French Army Officer decided to attack German troops who were accross the river from the French, to "show the Germans that we are better soldiers than they are!" As tragic as it was to die a day before the Armistice was signed, it was even more tragic to have had loss of life on November 11th. Patrick said that the officers in charge of the attack were punished by being re-assigned, but overall, it was a big white-wash, because it would have been a public relations disaster. In my opinion, Patrick's story highlighted the responsibility that senior military officers and politicians have.They really do make life and death decisions. It's something remains a constant even as we are about to enter the year 2008. As a veteran, I realize that sometimes hard decisions have to be made, but when an officer or politician makes a decision that puts lives on the line just to make themselves look good, it is an abuse of the power and esponsiblity of leadership in the highest order.
In the end, that tombstone and Patrick's story highlight that one day really can make a difference.
Belle histoire,
Triste histoire,
mais la réalité est là.
N'oublions jamais les 10 millions de morts de cette "Grande Guerre"...et tous les blessés, 17 millions de blessés, dont les "Gueules Cassées" au visage mutilé par les combats atroces.
Je compte sur toi, Steve, pour essayer de traduire, au mieux que tu pourras, cette pensée de Paul VALERY, poète français né à Sète, enterré au Cimetière Marin de Sète.
Paul VALERY a écrit: "LA GUERRE EST UN MASSACRE ENTRE GENS QUI NE SE CONNAISSENT PAS AU PROFIT DE CEUX QUI SE CONNAISSENT MAIS NE SE MASSACRENT PAS".
Qu'en penserait Donald Runfeld???
Ciao, amigo,
Jean-Paul, from PUISSERGUIER. (Comment this)