Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery and Memorial — Cimetière Américain de Meuse-Argonne — a Visit on Veterans and Armistice Day 2015

© 2015 Peter Free

 

12 November 2015

 

 

 

Photograph of Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery taken on Veterans Day 2015. 

 

Relatively few visitors — on a mostly gloomy 11 November 2015

 

Photograph of one entrrance to Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery.

 

Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery and Memorial is numerically the largest American military burial ground in Europe. It contains 14,246 headstones.

 

Photograph of fall trees and white headstones at Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery on Veterans Day 2015.

 

The cemetery is close to a 3 hour drive from the closest American military base in Germany. Distance may explain the relatively few American visitors this day.

 

Photograph of small gathering of people on Veterans Day 2015 at the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery.

 

With the French Tricolore and the Stars and Stripes waving slowly in slight wind, a comparatively small group of people remembered the significance of the American contribution to World War I:

 

 

The Meuse-Argonne Offensive began 26 September 1918 and ended with the Armistice on 11 November. It was the largest in US history, involving 1.2 million soldiers. Of these, 26,277 died and 95,786 were wounded. In total, these were the highest casualties experienced by the American Expeditionary Force during the war.

 

Sunlight peeked out, as the short ceremony began

 

Photograph of Meuse_Argonne American Cemetery Veterans Day 2015 tribute.

 

Photograph of Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery Veterans Day 2015 tribute.

 

Photograph of Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery, Veterans Day 2015.

 

On both sides of the small chapel, the missing are remembered by name

 

Photograph of the lists of the missing at Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery, Veterans Day 2015. 

 

Fall’s last leaves and a few November roses make poetic tribute to these shortened lives

 

Photograph of fallen leaves at Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery on Veterans Day 2015.

 

Photograph of November roses at Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery monument on Veterans Day 2015.

 

It is not much of a leap to see the ghosts of war

 

Photograph of soldiers in World War I battle gear walking past the headstones at Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery on Veterans Day 2015.

 

The American Battle Monuments Commission does an exquisite job at these sites

 

Perhaps too good, say some.

 

Meaning that the Commission turns the brutal chaos of war into visions of peace and appealing order. Reminders of war’s many soul-destroying characteristics disappear (the argument goes) among rows of brilliantly white, symmetrically laid, and grass-surrounded stone markers.

 

Harm in forgetfulness passing as fond remembrance.

 

 

However

 

The hours I have spent walking these kinds of rows in many locations persuade me otherwise.

 

It is not graciously laid honor that does the harm. It is our thoughtlessly human viciousness, combined with a predilection toward arrogance and self-righteousness that does. The supply of both are renewed each generation.

 

 

The moral? — If more of us read these carved stones and walked their green aisles . . .

 

Our generationally birthed ignorance of pain might weaken just enough to see with improved clarity.