Remembering...TOGETHER Our Shared Sacrifice. (Now Updated)

In keeping with the theme of Memorial Day I thought I'd post an interesting video of a program I watched live yesterday morning. One of Shell Shocks regular readers from Canada was telling me that someone on another web site reacted harshly towards her assumption that Memorial was for all Vets of every nationality. And while our American Memorial Day is to honor the War Dead of the United States....that by no means discounts the Allies that fought with us.


This video is rather long (30 minutes) but I found it fascinating. It was a joint ceremony between the Country Of France and the United States Marine Corps to honor the dead Marines who fought in the WWI Battle of Battle of Belleau Wood held at the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery in France.


French and American Generals as well as other dignitaries speak but it shows how they all still remember what happened there nearly 100 years ago now. I think it's at least worth checking out.

It vividly demonstrates that France indeed remembers our sacrifice for them during 2 World Wars. I have traveled the Battlefields of the first and second World Wars and they absolutely respect and honor our many War Cemetery's over there. It is very poignant to read at each one where it says that the land was given by France for ALL Time to the United States to honor and remember those who sacrificed for Freedom and for France.

Ousary Crypt at Verdun, France

I think all Americans who laugh at the "cowardly French jokes need to visit the WWI Battlefield of Verdun and see where a MILLION French Solders were killed in Battle in 8 months time, in an area less then 20 miles square! Look in the back windows of the Ousary Crypts and see the millions of HUMAN Remains picked up on the battlefield that are unidentified. Travel down the "Sacred Road", the only road in and out of Verdun during the Battle where the troops traveled, many for the last time to the Human Meat Grinder that was Verdun.

Then we might all have a better understanding why the French people react the way they do at times. They were led to slaughter by their government and military and there is a National Mistrust of those entities to this day, some 94 years later.

So check out the video or just listen to a few minutes and be fascinated as 2 countries who have repeatedly helped each other (Remember Lafayette in the Revolutionary War?) now honor each other's dead for America's Memorial Day...