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.
I always thought that when Arlington Cemetery came about .all the US soldiers who died
IN Europe
We're brought back home.I read the book on Arlington Cemetery in Washington DC it said all Americans were going to be back home according by Harry TRUMAN
IVE KNOWN about Truman & I know about Vietnam..Could you please find out
During my first visit to Normandy, I had a similar question. The American Battle Monument Commission (ABMC) is responsible for the maintenance of 26 American Military Cemeteries and 30 monuments in Western Europe, North Africa, the Pacific Rim, Mexico, Panama, Cuba and the United States.
I was told, by one of the American cemetery superintendents, that about 31% of our casualties, from the Mexican-American War through WWII, are buried in these cemeteries.
It is believed that the Fallen Warriors buried in overseas cemeteries had made it known that they wanted to be buried next their buddies. All others were sent home.
In the mid-50s the next of kin were given a final opportunity to have their warriors returned home or remain overseas and very few wanted th remains returned. The cemeteries were then closed to future burials because some families wanted their WWII veteran buried in a cemetery nearest to where they fought. In the mid-90s an exception was made after the remains of a paratrooper was found in a farmer's field. 2LT Willis Utecht was buried in the Netherlands American Cemetery.
If you ever have a chance to visit any of these cemeteries, please do not miss an opportunity to visit any of them and talk with the locals. The ABMC website is chock fulla information, but the 'close and personal' information is both historical and based on personal experiences or generaton-to-generation stories.
I always thought that when Arlington Cemetery came about .all the US soldiers who died
IN Europe
We're brought back home.I read the book on Arlington Cemetery in Washington DC it said all Americans were going to be back home according by Harry TRUMAN
IVE KNOWN about Truman & I know about Vietnam..Could you please find out
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.
I always thought that when Arlington Cemetery came about .all the US soldiers who died
IN Europe
We're brought back home.I read the book on Arlington Cemetery in Washington DC it said all Americans were going to be back home according by Harry TRUMAN
IVE KNOWN about Truman & I know about Vietnam..Could you please find out
I'm sure 1or more have been forgotten.
Thank You for taking care of these questions ❤️
Thank you for your question.
During my first visit to Normandy, I had a similar question. The American Battle Monument Commission (ABMC) is responsible for the maintenance of 26 American Military Cemeteries and 30 monuments in Western Europe, North Africa, the Pacific Rim, Mexico, Panama, Cuba and the United States.
I was told, by one of the American cemetery superintendents, that about 31% of our casualties, from the Mexican-American War through WWII, are buried in these cemeteries.
It is believed that the Fallen Warriors buried in overseas cemeteries had made it known that they wanted to be buried next their buddies. All others were sent home.
In the mid-50s the next of kin were given a final opportunity to have their warriors returned home or remain overseas and very few wanted th remains returned. The cemeteries were then closed to future burials because some families wanted their WWII veteran buried in a cemetery nearest to where they fought. In the mid-90s an exception was made after the remains of a paratrooper was found in a farmer's field. 2LT Willis Utecht was buried in the Netherlands American Cemetery.
If you ever have a chance to visit any of these cemeteries, please do not miss an opportunity to visit any of them and talk with the locals. The ABMC website is chock fulla information, but the 'close and personal' information is both historical and based on personal experiences or generaton-to-generation stories.
I always thought that when Arlington Cemetery came about .all the US soldiers who died
IN Europe
We're brought back home.I read the book on Arlington Cemetery in Washington DC it said all Americans were going to be back home according by Harry TRUMAN
IVE KNOWN about Truman & I know about Vietnam..Could you please find out
I'm sure 1or more have been forgotten.
Thank You for taking care of these questions ❤️