And so we arrived at the end of our journey to the Rhine. We boarded a ship here at Bacharach and sailed down the Rhine, marveling at the countryside and the number ancient castles that dotted the landscape. We have come the the end of our fabulous trip and have a renewed appreciation of the valor, sacrifice, hardship, drama, and tactics that are characteristics of thus our Greatest Generation. Lopez out.
The cemetery is beautifully laid out and was required to be "pleasing to the eye". There are 5,500 graves here with 101 unknowns, 2 Medal of Honor awardees, and one female nurse. We arrived just as it opened so we stood at attention and saluted as a 3-gun salute, taps and the star spangled banner was played over this solemn site. It was very moving.
The entrance to the chapel has 8 panels with a picture of a warrior in each depicting the characters of a warrior; Valor, physical fitness, proficiency, fortitude, fidelity, sacrifice, family ties, and faith.
Our first stop on this last day was at the Battle of the Bulge Memorial in Haam. This was built by Luxembourg to honor our American war dead in that campaign. Here is the entrance, with two golden laurel wreaths on the gate, the ancient award for valor. Gilded eagles surmount the stone pillars with 13 stars below each one. It is a beautiful entrance into a serene and peaceful site.
