In 2010, our youngest daughter had the opportunity to study and travel in Europe for the winter semester of her Junior year. Lee University has been hosting this trip for 20 years (among other trips) and it seemed like a great opportunity. Most of the time was study based at Cambridge, but much of the British Isles were included in their study.
At the end of the time in England are 2 weeks of "Independent Travel" anywhere in Europe, which the students have to plan, present for approval, and then execute. Her team was the first in 20 years to be able to design a program that led them through many major cities, but most importantly, to her goal of reaching Athens, Greece.
Communication was limited, she didn't take her phone or laptop, but used a shared computer the University provided. The group one day toured the American Cemetery at Cambridge, a 35 acre property donated by the University. It is truly a beautiful setting, of over a dozen American cemeteries in Europe. In one email, there was a statement that caught my attention. One of the tour guides at the Cemetery said that English citizens "adopted" American servicemen's graves, tended them, placed appropriate decorations at every American holiday, and passed this "adoption" down in the family through their wills. Hmmmm... that never comes up with our attorneys or financial planners, and my dad and 3 Bandy aunts were veterans of WW 2 !! She reported that there was actually a WAITING LIST of English citizens who cherished and wanted the high privilege of tending an American grave.
Curious to know more, I emailed the American Cemetery at Cambridge, to verify and understand this concept I'd heard of before: adopting American grave sites. Indeed, within 24 hours I received an kind and informative email response from the Director. He confirmed all our daughter had heard, with some clarification: "We do have a few graves at present available for adoption (of the thousands there...it's worth the time to see the amazing tribute in stone and chapel on the website.)" But just the week before, a couple from Holland had flown over to Cambridge to "adopt a soldier", because all of the grave sites in the Holland American Cemetery were taken.
In case your European geography is shaky, look at a map, and see that Holland is NOT next door to England! Travel is available by water, rail, or plane (their choice) but this is no small undertaking!! In adopting this American Soldier's WW 2 resting place, they are committing to travel several times annually from Holland to England, on US holidays like Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, Victory in Europe Day. They will place something in honor of this man or woman who came over and served 3, 4, or 5 years until death. And because this privilege is so meaningful to them, it is legally possible and very common for this adoption to be passed to the next generation in that family, along with the other prized family "belongings."
The implications of this to me were Stunning. The War in Europe has been over 75 years. These people who are adopting cemeteries probably do not have any family members left alive who served in the European theater of operations. They have no way of knowing who these men and women are who came across the Atlantic 80 years before with a song, "The Yanks Are Coming, The Yanks Are Coming, and We Won't be Back Until it's Over, Over There." (Most of them would have arrived on the majestic Queen Mary, the largest and fastest ship in the world at the time.)
4 of my family members are World War 2 veterans. I seldom visit my own parent's grave sites. (I just know they AREN'T THERE, it's just a memory spot down here of their life.) I live 15 minutes from a National Cemetery... I once decided to detour and visit the cemetery, which is accessed by a 4 lane highway. After what seemed like a mile, with nothing visible but the grass and rolling hills, I turned around and continued my trip.
But this week in Europe (and it won't be on any news media that you can find), thousands of citizens who speak a language I cannot understand, will be streaming to the dozen plus American Cemeteries to pay tribute to "their" American soldier. Why? Gratitude, simple, deep, moving gratitude. Because those peculiar cigarette smoking, chocolate dispensing American servicemen saved their lives, saved their country, from one of the most dangerous enemies the world has known. While In the USA, we'll make sure we have a flag flying, and try to have a BBQ gathering or pool party with friends, across the "Great Pond" will be thousands of people honoring those servicemen in a way that make our celebrations fall far short.
Not everyone is so grateful, it's true. Some years ago our Vice President was in France (bless their hearts) and one of the cabinet ministers was railing about American military still being in Europe, and requested that ALL AMERICAN soldiers be removed from the continent. For whatever you might think of then Vice President Dick Cheney, I loved his quick reply: "Sir, would you have us empty our cemeteries as well?"
Gratitude, simple gratitude.... for some unknown soldier, coming to save an unknown people who could not save themselves. The implications are staggering, just in terms of national appreciation (or lack there of.) But the spiritual application is more gripping. Just having been to a Lord's Supper service: "do this in remembrance of ME," I think my appreciation was pretty skimpy, compared to our European cousins.....many of whom no longer acknowledge any "faith" at all. But they are grateful for servicemen who had an American flag on their shoulder, for they know what freedoms they have were guaranteed by a sacrifice of blood, and giving of life!!
At the end of the time in England are 2 weeks of "Independent Travel" anywhere in Europe, which the students have to plan, present for approval, and then execute. Her team was the first in 20 years to be able to design a program that led them through many major cities, but most importantly, to her goal of reaching Athens, Greece.
Communication was limited, she didn't take her phone or laptop, but used a shared computer the University provided. The group one day toured the American Cemetery at Cambridge, a 35 acre property donated by the University. It is truly a beautiful setting, of over a dozen American cemeteries in Europe. In one email, there was a statement that caught my attention. One of the tour guides at the Cemetery said that English citizens "adopted" American servicemen's graves, tended them, placed appropriate decorations at every American holiday, and passed this "adoption" down in the family through their wills. Hmmmm... that never comes up with our attorneys or financial planners, and my dad and 3 Bandy aunts were veterans of WW 2 !! She reported that there was actually a WAITING LIST of English citizens who cherished and wanted the high privilege of tending an American grave.
Curious to know more, I emailed the American Cemetery at Cambridge, to verify and understand this concept I'd heard of before: adopting American grave sites. Indeed, within 24 hours I received an kind and informative email response from the Director. He confirmed all our daughter had heard, with some clarification: "We do have a few graves at present available for adoption (of the thousands there...it's worth the time to see the amazing tribute in stone and chapel on the website.)" But just the week before, a couple from Holland had flown over to Cambridge to "adopt a soldier", because all of the grave sites in the Holland American Cemetery were taken.
In case your European geography is shaky, look at a map, and see that Holland is NOT next door to England! Travel is available by water, rail, or plane (their choice) but this is no small undertaking!! In adopting this American Soldier's WW 2 resting place, they are committing to travel several times annually from Holland to England, on US holidays like Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, Victory in Europe Day. They will place something in honor of this man or woman who came over and served 3, 4, or 5 years until death. And because this privilege is so meaningful to them, it is legally possible and very common for this adoption to be passed to the next generation in that family, along with the other prized family "belongings."
The implications of this to me were Stunning. The War in Europe has been over 75 years. These people who are adopting cemeteries probably do not have any family members left alive who served in the European theater of operations. They have no way of knowing who these men and women are who came across the Atlantic 80 years before with a song, "The Yanks Are Coming, The Yanks Are Coming, and We Won't be Back Until it's Over, Over There." (Most of them would have arrived on the majestic Queen Mary, the largest and fastest ship in the world at the time.)
4 of my family members are World War 2 veterans. I seldom visit my own parent's grave sites. (I just know they AREN'T THERE, it's just a memory spot down here of their life.) I live 15 minutes from a National Cemetery... I once decided to detour and visit the cemetery, which is accessed by a 4 lane highway. After what seemed like a mile, with nothing visible but the grass and rolling hills, I turned around and continued my trip.
But this week in Europe (and it won't be on any news media that you can find), thousands of citizens who speak a language I cannot understand, will be streaming to the dozen plus American Cemeteries to pay tribute to "their" American soldier. Why? Gratitude, simple, deep, moving gratitude. Because those peculiar cigarette smoking, chocolate dispensing American servicemen saved their lives, saved their country, from one of the most dangerous enemies the world has known. While In the USA, we'll make sure we have a flag flying, and try to have a BBQ gathering or pool party with friends, across the "Great Pond" will be thousands of people honoring those servicemen in a way that make our celebrations fall far short.
Not everyone is so grateful, it's true. Some years ago our Vice President was in France (bless their hearts) and one of the cabinet ministers was railing about American military still being in Europe, and requested that ALL AMERICAN soldiers be removed from the continent. For whatever you might think of then Vice President Dick Cheney, I loved his quick reply: "Sir, would you have us empty our cemeteries as well?"
Gratitude, simple gratitude.... for some unknown soldier, coming to save an unknown people who could not save themselves. The implications are staggering, just in terms of national appreciation (or lack there of.) But the spiritual application is more gripping. Just having been to a Lord's Supper service: "do this in remembrance of ME," I think my appreciation was pretty skimpy, compared to our European cousins.....many of whom no longer acknowledge any "faith" at all. But they are grateful for servicemen who had an American flag on their shoulder, for they know what freedoms they have were guaranteed by a sacrifice of blood, and giving of life!!
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