The Cologne-Boulogne road was built by Romans and used by Caesar. It is also the same road Charlemagne, Charles V, Napoleon, and in 1940 Hitler used. In 1944, German troops used it again to withdraw. Along this road is the Netherlands American Cemetery and Memorial.
Over 8,000 Americans from World War II are buried there. This is just one of a dozen or so European cemeteries for US troops. But this one is just a little different.
In 1945, the small village of Margraten, population of around 1000, was a stopping place for troops pressing toward German territory. A lot of the soldiers stayed in the villagers’ homes. The town folk got to know some of those fighting for their liberations.
Today and since 1945, the Dutch have adopted the gravesites of the fallen by bringing flowers and tending to the upkeep. As one Dutch citizen said, “We are grateful for what the Americans did in the second world war, and we want to show that by taking care of the graves.” He tends the grave of an American bomber pilot and exchanges letters with the fallen pilot’s grandson.
A 24-year-old mother tends to another grave and she brings her 2-year-old daughter who will one day be the fifth generation to do so. What do you think the question that young girl will ask of her mother?
Why?
The answer to the question is a response every parent should tell their kids.
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