Friday, April 24, 2009

OMAHA BEACH...IF YOU HAVE NEVER BEEN HERE...FIND A WAY. ALSO, IF YOU'RE A LITTLE UNCERTAIN OF WHAT THE WORD SACRIFICE MEANS...DEFINITELY COME HERE!!

YOU ARE STANDING ON US SOIL HERE. THE PARK IS MAINTAINED BY A GROUP IN THE US...AND I MEAN MAINTAINED...NOT A BLADE OF GRASS OUT OF PLACE. FRIGHTENINGLY PERFECT WHERE A ONCE AN UNIMAGINED HELL REIGNED SUPREME.


A MONUMENT.



A STATUE.


AND A SEEMINGLY NEVER ENDING GALLERY OF HEROES. NOT ALL BURIED HERE DIED THAT FIRST DAY, BUT IT'S FAIR TO SAY OF THE 6,000 WHO DIED THAT 6th DAY OF JUNE 1944, MOST BURIED HERE WERE IN THAT FIRST WAVE.



OK, I'M JUST SPIT-BALLIN' HERE, BUT IF YOU CLICK ON THIS PICTURE YOU CAN READ THE NAME ON THIS MARKER. THIS GI's NAME IS DONALD H WEISEL, A TEC 5, 16th INFANTRY, 1st DIVISION FROM PENNSYLVANIA... MAYBE FROM PENNSYLVANIA-DUTCH COUNTRY...MAYBE A SON OF GERMAN IMMIGRANT PARENTS...SENT TO BY THE USA TO FIGHT THE GERMANS IN FRANCE. I KNOW WELL THAT POLITICS MAKES FOR STRANGE BED-FELLOWS...I'M STILL WORKING ON WHAT WAR MAKES FOR. AN AMERICAN OF GERMAN ANCESTRY ADORNED WITH FLOWERS AND A FRENCH AND AMERICAN FLAG. I GUESS I'LL BE WORKING ON THIS FOR A WHILE. NOTE TO SELF...LOOK UP THE DERIVATION OF THE WORD INFANTRY...IT MAY HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH SENDING CHILDREN TO WAR.

1 comment:

  1. infantry
    1579, from Fr. infantrie, from older It., Sp. infanteria "foot soldiers, force composed of those too inexperienced or low in rank for cavalry," from infante "foot soldier," originally "a youth," from L. infantem (see infant).

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