Veteran's Day in Champagne France

I've always loved military holidays. I grew up a Navy Brat and I have an extreme sense of nostalgia whenever I hear Anchor's Away or see the Red, White, and Blue flying proudly.

But Veteran's Day in the States was never celebrated much. Kid's would have special assemblies and service men and women would stand up and be recognized but then it was back to class and business as usual. I would have my children make special cards to honor their Uncle, my brother, who served in the Army during Kosovo and Iraq. We would do our own special things like study the armed forces for unit studies in our homeschooling or go to a museum. But the U.S. didn't seem to do very much for the day, in general.

Now I live in France. To my amazement, they celebrate their veteran's on the same day. There are a few differences though. They take this day a lot more serious than what I grew up seeing in the States.

 Firstly, no school, and everything else is closed in honor of the day as well. This morning our village gathered together in the center of town. We all stood outside the Mayor's office. An offering was taken for an organization that looked after Veteran's affairs. A man in uniform stood in front of a plaque in the center of our village and told the tale of how they refused to flee when German troops marched in during the Great War.

Afterwards we all followed in a procession behind the flags and the children of the village, to the church. There at the front door of the village church is a plaque with the names of those who died. The children were all lined up facing the plaque and the flags with everyone else behind. Flowers were placed by the names, the story was told, a trumpet was played, an older woman read each name followed by the voice of a child saying "He died for France!" Then the young innocent voices of our village's children sang the French national anthem, "La Marseillaise."




Afterwards we again walked in procession to the back of the church. Where once the children faced names carved on the stone of a church wall, they now faced names carved on graves. The reverance of the situation was palpable as again the song was sung, flowers were laid, salutes of honor from the men in uniform given, the story told, the dead remembered.


I don't know if what we witnessed is typical of every French town and village or if the history here, the region's soil deeply saturated with the blood of those who died during that war, is what keeps these things fresh in local memory and therefore the day more deeply felt but I was honored and privileged to be a part of it.
 
Everyone left afterwards to their homes to enjoy the day off from school and work but it was not like other days. It began rightly, in remembrance, solemnity, and prayer. Honoring those who died that we might live. Those who gave all for Liberty and Freedom. As a Christian I also remember that same sacrifice that was given by our Savior. He who gave us freedom from sin and liberty from death, the victor of the war in the heavenlies. So that we might all have eternal life. Happy Veteran's Day 2014!