Monday, November 16, 2009

A Veterans Day Reflection


The date of November 11th for Veterans Day commemorates the end of WWI. The truce took place on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. I lived in Belgium for a few years and this afforded me the privilege of visiting American Cemeteries in the area. I went to all of these cemeteries in Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands. They are all awe inspiring. There is only one WWI cemetery in Belgium. It is located in the village of Waregem and is the resting place of 368 American soldiers. There is something particularly poignant about this cemetery and on this day I am always reminded of the sacrifice our veterans have made for our country.

There are three American soldiers buried in the cemetery in Waregem that stand out.

Ray A. Kistner from Ohio
William T. Fossum from Minnesota
Andrew B. Horrell from Illinois

What is so heartbreaking about these three is that they all died on November 11th, 1918. The very last day of the war. Just a touching reminder of what price our veterans have paid for our freedoms.

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