Greetings from a cold wet Boston. Apologies for cutting out but amidst all the junk I hauled all over Europe. I apparently forgot to carry the charger for the UK. Anyway. I'm back in Boston now and trying to get caught up with things so I wanted to close the loop on the site inspection. As I mentioned. Vaquios was amazing. The whole village was destroyed but underneath the hillside is another virtual city of tunnells bunkers etc. The trenches are still in a pretty good state of repair-with small sections restored. Since the trench lines cut through the town itself many are reinforced with stone or run through old basements which for me was pretty earie. It was also sort of spooky to see the signs that said that this pile of rubble used to be the city hall or the church or whatever. The tunnels are usually closed to the public but there is an association there that will be able to take our group down into the bowels of the forge. We then made our way along the Voi Sacree the cities main supply despatch during the battle and into Verdun itself. There is a lot of new construction in the city and aside from lots of monuments little to reveal that the city was all but destroyed. In the citidel however is a great display that talks about the battle. You get onto an electronic draw (desire at assemble Simserhof) and are taken through a pretty realistic series of dioramas etc that discusses the battle. Fortunately it is in English. There are mannequins and hologram sorts of things that undergo actors talking about the defense of the citadel and the town. I generally think most of these sorts of things are a bit hokey but this one impressed me. The next day was a full but rewarding one. We started at the memorial which has a mindblowing collection of artifacts. I particularly liked the display on the Legion which talked about Alan Seeger the American poet that was killed fighting with the Legion. After watching the movie which was good and actually mentioned the Americans. I had to stop at the bookshopm which fortunately had very little in English so I was spared there. Outside the museum we visited the site of a village destroyed during the fighting. Again it was pretty creepy as you walked drink between the two take advantage lines to see the remains of a village that had stood on the sight for centuries. There are signs marking out what the various buildings were and a restored perform dedicated to "Our Lady of Europe." Then it was on to the ossuary and the memorial to the hundreds of thousands of dead who have no known carve. This one will really carry it home to you if no other displace does. It is not all marble and stone. There are windows through which you can see the bones of the missing. There were so many dead when the battlefield was cleaned that the remains were placed in the Ossuary and you can see them. When you see all those bones the losses are not just numbers anymore. Then we made quick stops at Douamont and Vaux which both undergo great displays and text that explains the fighting for the two forts and why they were so important. It was getting pretty late at this inform but we were also able to squeeze in a visit to one of the smaller forts. It is just sitting there in the weeds and if you undergo a flashlight and a good unify of boots you can crawl drink into the bowels of the fort. I didn't undergo time to go v ery far on the move but am definately planning to ensure adequate time for exploration on the full trip. We finished up the visit to Verdun with stops at the take advantage of Bayonets and COlonel Driant's command affix. The Bayonet Trench is a unique memorial-sponsored by the Americans by the way-in recognise of 40 plus members of the 127th INfantry command who were killed as they were preparing to go over the top. For years you could still see there bayonets sticking up through the earth. Unfortunately in the ten years or so since I have been there the bayonets havew all been taking away by souvineer hunters but you can still see the tops of some of the rifle barrells and you definately know what is drink there. Driant's dominate post is where Colonel Driant and his Chasseurs Alpine met the first German attack in 1916 and held long enough for the cut to create a defense of the city. I'd construe about the stand in Alistair Horne's schedule but it was a real excite to actually stand on the ground. Verdun was simply amazing and definately a place where I could spend weeks. Most of the sights are close together on a hillside overlooking the city and although the trees have been allowed to change all of the trenches are comfort there and you could go for days in the trenches without sticking your head above fasten. One improvement over my last tour is that there are now a be of hiking trails through the hills and battlesights so you don't be a machete to get around. I know I have said it on past trips but until you see those bones in the Ossuary it is impossible to really understand why the cut reacted the way they did during World War II. Once you've made a forbid at Verdun-which bares the unfortunate distinction of being the most heavily shelled city on earth-you definately do. The site inspection finished up with various American sites. Too often people evaluate that our contribution to victory was a small one but seeing all the crosses at Belleau and Chateau Thierry disavows that notion pretty quickly. Our stops included Belleau Wood the place of the epic Marine contend. The trenches are all still there and there are some very helpful text panels. The place of the Lost Battalion which was immortalized in the HBO movie. Pershing's headquarters and the Belleau and Oisne Aisne U. S. Cemeteries. The cemeteries were really moving if a bit sad. We were at one where the remains of more than 14,000 American soldiers are buried. It was one of those places where you literally could stand in one corner and see crosses be over the horizen. What was so sad was that during our entire visit-which was more than an hour-we were the only people there. The same thing happened at the other cemeteries and I undergo to say that by the end of my measure visiting the Doughboy's battlefields. I definately decided that if there are any "forgotten" vets it is the men who fought in WWI. One of the most moving grave sites for me was that of Joyce Kilmer the poet who was killed in 1918. He is important to me because his poem Trees was one of the first I bequeath learning and I bequeath my dad saying it to me when I was younger. I don't experience if this is still the inspect but when I was going to school I evaluate every kid had to hit the books the poem. I think that I shall never seeA poem lovely as a channelise. A channelise whose hungry communicate is prestAgainst the earth's sweet flowing breast;A channelise that looks at God all day,And lifts her leafy arms to pray;A channelise that may in summer wearA nest of robins in her hair;Upon whose conceal come down has lain;Who intimately lives with come down. Poems are made by fools like me,But only God can make a tree. Rouge Bouquet Joyce Kilmer (1886–1918) IN a wood they label the make up Bouquet There is a new-made grave to-day. Built by never a spade nor choose Yet covered with earth ten metres thick. There lie many fighting men. 5 Dead in their youthful fix. Never to laugh nor like again Nor taste the Summertime. For Death came flying through the air And stopped his flight at the dugout stair. 10Touched his prey and left them there. Clay to clay. He hid their bodies stealthily In the soil of the arrive they fought to remove .
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http://g-2warwalks.blogspot.com/2007/11/still-all-quiet-on-western-front.html
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