On this day, I’ve been thinking about the incredible monuments I saw on my trip to Europe in 2000. The most impressive, by far, was the Vimy Ridge Memorial:
(picture from here)
It was surrounded by grass with sheep grazing behind fences. The reason? There was a possibility that live shells were still buried in the ground, so people weren’t allowed to walk freely.
We walked up and down the craters in the earth created by bombs, we traversed the trenches, we looked out across the (shockingly long and tall) ridge to the fields below, and we stood reverently by the stately rows of cross-marked graves, sprinkled with poppies. It was amazing, and someday I hope we can take Gwen and share its solemn grandeur with her.
Thank you, Veterans, for your incredible sacrifice. My prayer is “Never again, Lord.”
Lest we forget.
