A Memorial Day Post....

Navy · 05-26-2009, 08:10 AM

During the summer of 1986, while stationed in Kaiserslautern, Germany, I took my two then pre-teen sons on a 10 day camping trip. Our voyage was the trace of the western front 1914-1918 from Verdun to the sea. A "blue highways" trip if you will as there were no autobahns/expressways.

It was absolutely amazing. At each little town or village there was at least two cemetaries at different sides of the road by the major intersection in each locale. One was a allied cemetary, primarily Brit; the other was German. I would estimate I saw at least a hundred.

But the most memorable thing we saw was the playing of "Last Post" at the Meningen Gate by the village fire brigade, which is done every night in memory of the thousands of Tommys and Jocks and Micks and hermans who died there.

Tom A

05-26-2009, 08:10 AM	#7
Navy RIP Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Dc 'burbs in Virginia Posts: 2,482 Thanks: 0 Thanked 16 Times in 10 Posts	During the summer of 1986, while stationed in Kaiserslautern, Germany, I took my two then pre-teen sons on a 10 day camping trip. Our voyage was the trace of the western front 1914-1918 from Verdun to the sea. A "blue highways" trip if you will as there were no autobahns/expressways. It was absolutely amazing. At each little town or village there was at least two cemetaries at different sides of the road by the major intersection in each locale. One was a allied cemetary, primarily Brit; the other was German. I would estimate I saw at least a hundred. But the most memorable thing we saw was the playing of "Last Post" at the Meningen Gate by the village fire brigade, which is done every night in memory of the thousands of Tommys and Jocks and Micks and hermans who died there. Tom A