Tribute

Day 14 of the September Song Challenge and Day 3 of our study mates' reunion weekend in Maastricht, another try at making a combination of the two.

This weekend the 70th anniversary of the initial liberation of the Southern part of The Netherlands by the Allied Forces was celebrated/commemorated in the South of The Netherlands. Maastricht was the first major town which was liberated then. It's being commemorated by a parade of old military vehicles which is touring the places which were liberated, but also those who gave their lives so that The Netherlands could become free again were remembered. Our group went on a guided tour at the American Military Cemetery at Margraten near Maastricht. Our guide obviously was very passionate about keeping the memories alive, he's part of several groups who are trying to find out more about those soldiers who have graves there and those soldiers who are still missing but remembered there. There's a website collecting the 'faces of Margraten'.The cemetery itself is immaculate, so very well kept and beautiful. It was a very cool and misty morning, so we couldn't see the wonderful view over the Limburg landscape from this cemetery. Every grave and every name on the wall of the missing has been adopted by a Dutch family and many were laying flowers at the graves today.

I think I can only combine the sight I've chosen from today's group activity with the September Song Challenge's listed song Sound of Silence by Simon and Garfunkel. I know that song is more about the feeling that nobody listens, but then again sometimes you do wonder why after all these sacrifices during wars it does seem that we still haven't learned/listened and stopped war.

I've posted both this and yesterday's Blip today (Sunday)