11/11/18 ~ de engel memorial

at Saint-Charles de Potijze, Belgium.
both images originally taken by my grandfather between the wars.

nearly all of the graves are of unidentified soldiers. this was one of the features of the battlefields of WWI.  conditions were so appalling that many men vanished without trace.  some were wounded and not being able to help themselves, simply sank into the mud, while others drowned. many were simply blown to bits. in many cases identification was impossible.

this is why we have to continue to remember, not brush it all under the carpet. humans will always make war as well as love, and it's naive to think that preferring to forget the horror of war will prevent it in the future.

reading:  Pure by Andrew Miller