Lorraine Cemetery is located at St. Avold, France and covers 113 1/2 acres of land. It contains the largest number of graves of military Dead of World War II in Europe, a total of 10, 489. Most of these fell during battles in the border regions and at the conquest of the Rhine. My grandfather, CPL Samuel W. Gibson, was one of those soldiers.
Looking from his grave toward the whole of the cemetery is a humbling yet breathtaking experience. Just to stand there...you get goosebumps.
In the memorial chapel, a group of five statues of allegorical figures represents the eternal struggle for freedom (below).
The southern wall carries a vast map showing the military operations that were carried out.
It was on this wall (above) that we learned where CPL Gibson was probably killed, something we weren't too sure of before our visit.On each side of the memorial, a wall for the Missing bears the names of 444 young American Soldiers whose bodies were never found. Below is the view of the cemetery from the Chapel stairs, next to the wall for the Missing.
On the other side of the cemetery is the Belvedere. It's an overlook where you can view the whole cemetery. Atop the Belvedere is an enormous eagle.
It was an incredible trip to say the least and I am so thankful that we were able to do it. We'd always known that my mother's father passed away in WWII and had been buried in France. And we'd always known that it must have been an incredibly difficult choice for my grandmother to make. The choice of not returning him to the United States and instead burying him in France where he'd fallen. What we would never have truly realized, had we not physically visited the cemetery, was how right her choice was. He remains with his fellow soldiers. He's but one among thousands however, that brings us comfort. They are all so well taken care of. Always looked after. Constantly tended. Every hour of every day. And they will never...never be forgotten.
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