Gratitude for Military Servicemen

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!!

American Battle Monuments Commission

www.abmc.gov

Marine Tribute: Semper Fi!

Marine Tribute: 

Grateful for The Faithful!

You have seen them on the beaches
Where they’ve landed on the shore,
Almost always on the Forefront,
When the Country goes to war.

Parris Island serves as midwife
For these sons who stand so tall.
Ever ready, always training,
For whatever task may call,

Homeland, grateful, awes them proudly
As they serve across the seas
Under Foreign suns or friendly,
Facing foe, harsh clime, disease.

Battles deadly, sore, with evil
They have fought without defeat
Never leaving comrades wounded,
Never calling for retreat.

From the books of history’s pages,
They stand out, so Few, so Proud
From the tongues of warrior sages,
Hear their exploits told aloud.

“Did you know one?? Have you met one??”
“Oh, Yes!” proudly answer I,
And I know he lived the motto:
“Always Faithful” – Semper Fi !

In honor of all our faithful Marines
© Tom B. Bandy tbandy523@comcast.net
3/5/03 770-548-3020

Europeans Honor American Cemeteries

Our youngest daughter studied a semester in Europe her Junior year at Lee University, winter of 2010. The group toured the American Cemetery at Cambridge, one of over a dozen of our WWII cemeteries in Europe. The guide mentioned that English citizens may be on a waiting list of up to 2 years to have the privilege of tending an American serviceman's grave site. Once this "privilege" is received, ...it is passed down through that family by will, as long as the heirs desire it.

I was stunned! Seventy years after one of these men/women in American uniform died, English citizens want the privilege of placing flags and flowers on majot American holidays, for people they've never met?? It had been years since I visited Arlington or any of our home-based National Cemeteries. I emailed the head caretaker to ask more...he kindly responded back.

Indeed this was all true, except that at that time, the Cambridge Cemetery actually had a few graves available to "adopt." Just the previous week, he said, a couple had flown from Holland to England to adopt 2 gravesites, because all of the gravesites in Holland were "taken", and the waiting list was too long. This meant that on every major American holiday, they were committing to fly to England to place flowers and flags on these 2 gravesites, and wanted to pass that privilege down their family line. After 70 years!! I was humbled, and embarrassed by my own lack of appreciation.

When Pearl Harbor was bombed and President Roosevelt spoke about that disaster as Congress declared war on both Germany and Japan. FDR said, "This is a day that shall live in infamy." Winston Churchill, having lead England through weary years of resistance and response to night bombings is known to have said, "Now we shall win! Now we shall win!" Obviously, some European citizens take their gratitude to American military service personnel very seriously. Maybe we should take a hint....

Granite Gray, Marble White

(In remembrance of fallen servicemen)
The setting is a national cemetery, or the military section of any cemetery,
with the rows of identical crosses or stones; and how they arrived there,
for a lifelong faithful duty, for those whose faithful duty is over.
The Most Difficult Poem I Ever Wrote:


Rows and rows of faithful soldiers, keeping watch until the dawn
Over the beds of finest men and women, that ever nation spawned.

Whence came these quiet soldiers, with steady, unwavering gaze,
Who watch o’er their beloved, through dimming evening haze?

From the bowels of earth and mountainside, from edges of earth’s crust,
The drill, blast, scoop, have yielded them from out a cloud of dust.

Unknown to fellow travelers who journeyed their same road,
With similar wheels and engines to bear their heavy load,



They came! To this green carpet, for years to solemn stand,
To mark the final resting of the choicest of the land.

And now, in ceaseless vigil, with crest of morning dew,
They serve their fallen comrade; and mark a spot beneath the blue.

Both here by accuracy of man, machine, and blast of power,
From that great noise and energy, to this quiet, solemn bower.

One from dark earth to sun, the other from sun to dark earth.
The end of one’s tumultuous watch became the other’s birth.



Yet, we would have it different now, and trade one for the other,
And have again in loving arms: dad, mom, sister, son, or brother.

But no reply from partners, still. No matter loud the tears,
No response from either soldier, in this or other years.

Naught! But quiet example, of service, brave and true.
Their steady gaze and forward press, their gift to me and you.

If one reflects on what they say, with voices now unheard,
They speak their timeless message still, without an uttered word.


In appreciation of the soldiers’ gift to us, which was with great loss to their families.
© Tom B. Bandy
4/23/03 – 4/30/04