More from: "My Time in Service:"
I hope I don't offend anyone with this post. It is a delicate subject. One that I would never treat lightly. The tale of two cemeteries. Arlington National Cemetery, and the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial. One in DC, one in France.
Having been to both of them- I had different experiences and emotions. Normandy just overwhelmed me. I was only able to walk into the first row of graves. And I gently tip toed back out. To see that huge field of white crosses...was just too much. Knowing most of them died below us on the beach...within minutes of storming the shore. Mostly young men- who left Mothers, Fathers, Wives, Children, and siblings...behind.
It is just the stark beauty clash with the horrors of that Day that hammers home what those brave Service Men did. They are the ones, just like when you go to the Wall, that hammer home the second part of that saying: "All gave some, Some gave all." Never to return.
And it made me want peace on Earth.
Arlington had a different "flavor" for me. It was more of a sense of : "These are the guys who mostly came home and built our Country." Many of them did die in Battle, but most of the Service Members at Arlington lived - at least for a while- after leaving the Service and returning from Combat.
It made me feel...hopeful. Proud. Humble.
These are the people who carried the scars off war, but decided that they owed it to their country to continue contributing to it. Starting families, businesses, industries. Getting elected, or joining communities across the Nation, to keep serving ...just not in Uniform.
So Normandy crushed me with sadness and feeling of wasted futures. Although they weren't wasted at all. They gave us a chance to become great.
Arlington, well, gave me a tapestry or history. Of brave men and women, who over our Countries existence...kept us safe, and moving forward. I felt...well, not comfortable...that's the wrong word. But maybe...welcomed? That's not quite the right word either. It felt like a Church where you weren't a member, but were welcomed to be there. That's as close as I can come to expressing my feelings.
Two Cemeteries, separated by an Ocean...but containing the remains of Heroes. And a reminder of the Cost of staying free. They had different effects on me...but the same respect.
Salute.