Remembering Veterans Day While Traveling in Europe
Veteran's Day
November 7, 2010
November 11th is known as Veteran's Day in the United States. This is the date on which we remember and honor our veterans.
November 11th started out as Armistice Day when we remembered and honored those who gave their lives in World War I. However, following World War II and the Korean War we changed the name to Veteran's Day and declared it a holiday honoring all Veterans, living and dead.
While the name and focus of the day changed somewhat, we kept the date as November 11th or, more precisely, the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month has always been remembered as the moment at which the fighting stopped in World War I.
Sacrario Di Cristo Ri Church in Mesina on the Island of Sicily in Italy
As I noted in my Hub, Veterans Day November 11th, while the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month was
the time the diplomats from all sides agreed to have their armies stop
shooting so that peace talks could begin, most believed as my Uncle
Walt, who was in the U.S. Army with the American Expeditionary Force in
France, noted in his diary that the cease fire would not last and that
the carnage would soon resume.
Fortunately,
the cease fire held and a peace treaty eventually signed. Eleven
o'clock on November eleventh thus became the date on which everyone came
to associate with the end of the war.
The
United States honors its veterans on Veterans Day and its war dead on
Memorial Day (last Monday in May) as well as honoring veterans, both
those who survived its wars and those who gave their lives fighting with
various monuments and memorials. Other nations also, from ancient times
to the present, honor those who have fought and defended their
societies.
While
traveling in Europe the past few days before November 11th I have seen
memorials to veterans of the bloody wars of the twentieth century in
both Italy and France.
My wife looking down at soldiers tomb from the upper church
Memorial to Italy's Fallen in Crypt of Church of Sacrario Di Cristo Ri
In the Sicilian seaport of Mesina I was encouraged by the lady in the tourist center at the port to visit the Church of Sacrario Di Cristo Ri on
a hill overlooking the city. My wife and I made our way up the hill
and, in addition to a beautiful church and spectacular view of Mesina, a
memorial containing the remains of 110 soldiers from World War I and
1,288 from World War II who gave their lives fighting for Italy.
Entering
the main or upper church one sees, directly under the dome and half way
between the entrance and the mail altar, a circular stone railing
surrounding an opening in the floor where one can peer down into the
crypt below. Directly below the opening is a stone sarcophagus with a
sculpture of an Italian soldier resting on top with a sword on his chest
just like the sarcophagi of medieval knights found in other cathedrals
in Europe.
Exiting
the main church and walking around back, we found a small door leading
into the crypt where we not only saw the sarcophagus but also the
markers on the walls with the names of the fallen soldiers who lay a
rest behind them.
Among
the fallen entombed in the crypt are 161 unknowns and a large number of
World War II soldiers who died in 1943 during the Allied invasion of
Sicily.
French War Memorials in Marseille
Arriving
in Marseille a couple of days later we traveled up a hill to Notre-Dame
de la Garde which is both a spectacular church as well as providing a
spectacular view of the city and its port.
On
either side of the pews are a series of little chapels with the first
one on the right upon entering honoring the soldiers of France's wars
from 1870 (Franco-Prussian War) through World War II. Here, the wall is
decorated with medals and other relics from these wars and the lower
walls containing tiles that appear to either honor specific soldiers or
express thanksgiving from soldiers or their families.
Leaving
Notre-Dame de la Garde we returned to the port area and strolled along
Rue Le Cambiere where we encountered Verdun Square and a massive
monument to veterans of France's twentieth century (it may have included
other wars but my French is very limited).
Mosta Church in Malta - Nazi Bomb Fell Through Roof During Mass in 1942 but Didn't Detonate & No One Hurt
Other Memorials Not Photographed
While
these were the only three sites I had the opportunity to photograph,
our taxi driver in Tunis had pointed out the location of the American
Cemetery (which contains the remains of American troops who gave their
lives liberating Tunisia during World War II) as we sped past just after
sunset.
In
Malta our guide pointed out the stadium built on the grounds where the
heavily bombed British Royal Air Force (RAF) airfield had once stood and
informed us that the little island nation of Malta had suffered more
bombings per square mile in World War II than any other nation or
territory (Malta had been a part of the British Empire during World War
II).
We
also saw the church in which a Nazi bomb had crashed through the dome
and landed in the middle of the church during Sunday Mass. Miraculously,
the bomb did not go off and no one was killed.
While
we and our 3,000 plus passengers from practically every nation on earth
enjoyed each other's company and the joys of a Mediterranean cruise we
couldn't help pausing and remembering the sacrifices of our fathers and
grandfathers had fought not that long ago to preserve and defend the
peace and prosperity that we now enjoy.
Close up Front View, toward altar, of Soldier Tomb in Crypt of Sacrario Di Cristo Ri in Mesina, Sicily
Front View, toward altar, of Soldier Tomb in Crypt of Sacrario Di Cristo Ri in Mesina, Sicily
Side View of Tomb in Crypt
Another view of the soldiers tomb in the crypt of the Church
Markers on Wall of crypt with names of individual soldier entombed behind the marker
Notre Dame de la Garda Church in Marseille, France
A Note on This, My First Hub from Abroad
While this is the 556th Hub that I have published, it is the first one I have published while traveling. Not only that it is also my first published in Europe and partially published from a cruise ship at sea while en-route from Marseilles, France to Barcelona, Spain.
Even though my wife and I are on vacation, I am still teaching a course online and have had to check in on this class regularly while traveling. Since I had some extra Internet time available as the end of our cruise neared I decided to publish a Hub.
Unlike many hotels and resorts in the U.S. where Wifi is frequently available for free, most places in Europe charge for Internet access. On the ship the best deal was 250 minutes for sixty Euros, while the Holiday Inn Express, where we are currently staying, in Barcelona, Spain gives me the choice between one continuous hour for three Euros and 24 continuous hours for ten Euros.
This Hub was created and the text posted while at sea. However, I was unable to upload the photos, which are the central part of the Hub, while at sea. I tried two or three times to upload photos individually and had to give up each time when the single photo was still uploading after almost 15 minutes.
Once I was settled in at the Holiday Inn in Barcelona I was able to upload the photos although it was still slow compared to home as each photo took almost two minutes to load.
Sacrario Di Cristo Ri Church in Mesina, Sicily
Notre-Dame de la Garde Church in Marseilles France
Location of Church of Notre-Dame de la Garde in Marseille, France
Location of Mosta Church in Malta
City of Mosta on the Mediterranean island nation of Malta. Location of the Church where the miracle of the bomb occurred during World War II in 1942.