Visiting the Luxembourg American Cemetery was a very reflective experience for me. I think it is under appreciated and not well known that America has a organization dedicated to setting up and maintaining U.S. military cemeteries and memorials. It was so well maintained and beautiful in a sad sort of way with the pristine marble headstones all perfectly aligned.
Both of my grandfathers fought in WWII and I wondered about how they would feel visiting Luxembourg. Unfortunately, both my grandfathers passed away before I was old enough to ask them about their experiences in the war. What I know is that World War II, as with all wars, was full of human misery and suffering. The things that were seen and that had to be done stay in the minds of the soldiers and civilians long after they return home if they return home at all.
Walking through the cemetery, I read the names on some of the headstones and thought about something our host said. She said that soldiers are all equal in death. This stood out to me because regardless of how strong they were or how hard they fought or what mistakes they made in life or how they treated others, each soldier is honored for their service.
It was also fascinating to learn about General Patton’s grave. He died after the war but wanted to be buried with his men. Patton was a critical figure in the Allied victory in WWII and thus was highly visited after his death. He initially had a headstone among the others at Luxembourg but his burial site got so many visitors that the grass got worn and the surrounding graves got muddy. Out of respect for those who were buried around Patton, they moved him to a separate area. This all took place in the temporary cemetery so when they built the permanent cemetery, they aligned all the other graves with Patton’s grave. I think that it is admirable that Patton had such a dedication to those he fought with that he wanted to be buried with them.
I think that often for things like war and natural disasters, the casualties often unintentionally become numbers and nothing more. As I read the names and dates and states of origin of the people buried in Luxembourg, I tried to think of the people they were. I thought a lot about how much they must have suffered during the war and in the moments before death. I thought about the physical and mental and emotional hardships they had to endure. I thought about the homes they never returned to. I was sombered to think of the widows and the broken hearts and the tears and the devastation that resulted. I pictured the parentless children and the childless parents and all of the pain that remained long after the war itself ended. I also thought of those who did return home like my grandfathers. I pictured survivor’s guilt and PTSD and injuries and nightmares for years and years. Wrapping my head around the lasting effects of World War II is difficult and being in Luxembourg reminded me of that.
I found it fascinating that the unidentified people buried in Luxembourg are still being identified many years after the war with genetic technology and other means. Our guide mentioned a man who was identified in 2017 which is really amazing and can mean a lot to the surviving family.
Overall, visiting the Luxembourg American Military Cemetery was one of my favorite parts of this trip so far. The flag folding ceremony was very interesting and I think it was nice that we got the opportunity to do it. The cemetery itself was a sad yet beautiful reminder of the cost of war.