Thank you, Chaplain Young, for two reasons. First, for giving yourself to the service of God in a field in which you can be in danger, as well as serve as solace for servicemen and women who need your spiritual advice at times when one may be unsure of seeing the next sunrise.
Secondly, you did what few Americans have done and that is to visit one of our 26 American military cemeteries overseas.
You mentioned that few of the graves at Nettuno (aka Sicily-Rome cemetery) were decorated. That is opposite of what you will find at the Netherlands American Cemetery next to Margraten, NL which is the final resting place of almost 8,300 Fallen Warriors, including two Army nurses.
Today, every grave will have been decorated, for every soldier's grave was immediately 'adopted' by a Dutch family as their own son or daughter. The cemetery's policy is that only one family may 'adopt' one soldier. There has been a waiting list, but not one family has 'given up' their soldier since the temporary cemetery was created in 1944.
For Chaplain Young's parishioner or congregation whose relative is missing, there names on a "Wall Of The Missing" in each cemetery. At the Netherlands cemetery, 1,722 names are carved on that Wall with a majority of them being aviators who were shot down.
In closing, I thank you for your Service to God and Country.
Thank you, Chaplain Young, for two reasons. First, for giving yourself to the service of God in a field in which you can be in danger, as well as serve as solace for servicemen and women who need your spiritual advice at times when one may be unsure of seeing the next sunrise.
Secondly, you did what few Americans have done and that is to visit one of our 26 American military cemeteries overseas.
You mentioned that few of the graves at Nettuno (aka Sicily-Rome cemetery) were decorated. That is opposite of what you will find at the Netherlands American Cemetery next to Margraten, NL which is the final resting place of almost 8,300 Fallen Warriors, including two Army nurses.
Today, every grave will have been decorated, for every soldier's grave was immediately 'adopted' by a Dutch family as their own son or daughter. The cemetery's policy is that only one family may 'adopt' one soldier. There has been a waiting list, but not one family has 'given up' their soldier since the temporary cemetery was created in 1944.
For Chaplain Young's parishioner or congregation whose relative is missing, there names on a "Wall Of The Missing" in each cemetery. At the Netherlands cemetery, 1,722 names are carved on that Wall with a majority of them being aviators who were shot down.
In closing, I thank you for your Service to God and Country.