In Memoriam!

A few days ago, it was D-Day; and the celebrations of the 70th anniversary at Normandy, where the Allied troops landed. I didn't realise that, because my historical knowledge is sadly not good - I remember when the peace treaty was signed, because the 11th day of the 11th month at 11a.m. is something that sticks in the memory, as it was intended. So, why do we commemorate D-Day, when ther were many other battles during WWII that were just as costly in terms of lives lost? The reason is that, although there were still several months to go, both sides knew that once the Allied forces had successfully invaded, it was just a matter of time before the war was over. And that is worth commemorating.

I discovered it was the 70th anniversary celebrations, because it was on T.V. all day, or at least between 9 and 5, when I was at work - I don't have a TV at home. And because I was at work (and the only one in), I didn't get to watch most of it, but I did see and hear some interesting things. Like a bit where they were going through the cemetery, and mentioned that it was something incredibly different for the time it was suggested - that all the fallen would be commemorated equally, in that the gravestones would all look exactly the same. No difference in size or shape, regardless of rank or family connections. Death is not always exactly a leveller; but, in this case, respect and gratitude made it so. And will continue to so do - the charter for the graveyard is that the grounds and headstones should be looked after with great care 'in perpetuity'.

I saw some of the church service, and an interview with Eddie Izzard. If it strikes you as strange that they should interview a comdian who is still remembered mainly for dressing in women's clothing (in the U.K. anyway), there was a reason. Apart from the reason that he knows a lot about history and the need for remembrance, and the idea that it makes it clear that everyone is equally affected by the way this turned out. Apart from that, there was another reason or two. The first was that he is currently embarking on a European tour, where he is doing his entire set in each native language, and Germany is in that list. And he'd done a gig (in English, French and German) in Normandy the day before. So, unity on an individual basis, as it were.
But the second reason, which is more important, is that he is donating the proceeds of this tour to charity; and in Germany, the charity is to support an artist. Who has an idea he's putting into action to create memorials for people who were kidnapped by the Nazis. He's looked up as many names and addresses as he can find, and he's making small metal balls engraved with their names, and placing them outside the houses where they lived. Which is important, because it reminds us that it wasn't just the soldiers who suffered and sacrificed in the struggle against the Nazis.

I missed the story about Bernard Jordan, which I didn't see until the next day. He couldn't get onto an official tour to Normandy organised by the British Legion, so he simply decided to sort it out himself. He left in the afternoon, and went and got on a ferry, without telling anyone in the care home where he was going. They started a missing person hunt for him, until someone contacted them saying they'd seen him in Normandy, and he was fine. Good job, Bernard.