| Great Britain honors Americans with a memorable 'must' | |
| By Leonard J. Hansen | |
CAMBRIDGE, England -- Fifty passengers were chatting brightly as the tour bus headed north on highway A-1303 from London. En route 60 miles, just three miles west of Cambridge and one of the world’s great universities, the waystop would prove to be one of the most memorable on the Collette Tour through England, Scotland and Wales.As American flags outside fluttered in the breeze, chatter aboard the coach diminished, both from respect and expectation. The site is the Cambridge American Cemetery, a horticulturally rich and architecturally significant memorial to the men and women from the United States who, during World War II, died to protect the British Isles from Nazi attacks while also launching a return offensive. The aircraft, crew and payloads of bombs flew eastward to Berlin and German industrial centers, suffering some of the highest death and injury rates during the long siege and defensive air battles. Their mission provided a critical, positive turning point for the British Isles and the Allied forces. England and its people did not forget. The University of Cambridge provided 30.5 acres of land in 1943; and in July 1956 the site was declared the only permanent World War II cemetery for American military in the British Isles. From the gradual slope of the country terrain abundant with woodlands, you can see the spires of Ely Cathedral, 14 miles away. Most of the 3,812 American servicemen and women buried here were crew members of Britain-based American aircraft. Others are Americans killed in the invasions of North Africa and France and in the waters of the Atlantic in the never-ending battle to keep the sea lanes protected from U-boats. Additionally, the names of 5,126 American military missing in action, lost or buried at sea are inscribed on a 427-foot-long wall. Some 275,000 visitors - most are mature adults from the United States - visit the Cambridge American Cemetery each year. Many of the visitors lost immediate family and friends during World War II. Some are children or grandchildren of those who gave their all to protect the world against the Axis powers. Many visitors, particularly the younger, gain their first understanding of the immensity and intensity of both the battle for Britain and the land, sea and air battle to reclaim Western Europe on May 8, 1945. During the war, 17 million tons of cargo and some 2 million American servicemen and women passed through British ports. In addition to the battle to preserve its own country from decimation and invasion by troops, England was the launching point for major offensives, such as the D-Day assault on the beaches of Normandy. This memorial vividly presents the story of the war from England in the seven concentric arcs of white grave markers - each a stylized cross or Star of David. Walking paths are framed by boxwood hedges. A reflecting pool is surrounded by lush native and imported trees and other plantings. A non-denominational chapel is the centerpiece of a memorial building complex. It is here that even those who profess no faith pause in reflection and, perhaps, express thoughts to a God or wishes to those who came to Britain to protect the free world. Along exterior walls are maps which detail the land, sea and air history of World War II, and a museum presents models of airplanes and armament, service medals and other memorabilia. Five pylons symbolize each of the years - 1941 through 1945 - the United States participated in World War II in Europe. Today’s mature adult remembers the war, either as one who enlisted or was drafted to defend the country, as one who went to work for the war effort or, if younger, who saw fathers, brothers and uncles go off to other parts of the world to stop the awesome march of the Axis powers in Europe and Africa, or Japan in the Pacific region. Most of those who went to war came home, many with scars and impairments from battle. Many others did not return and are honored in impressive memorials as they are here in Cambridge. Eight European cemeteries and memorials honor American war dead and missing in World War I, such as the 4.5-acre Brookwood Cemetery near Surrey, England. Americans from World War II are memorialized in 14 cemeteries and monuments around the world, of which Cambridge is one. The host countries have provided the land and charge no taxes or fees to the memorials and cemeteries. Aboard the tour bus following the visit, the travelers expressed quietly that they had gained a new understanding of both the war and the importance of the American participation in the battle and then the victory. "In the United States, we worked and survived World War II. But, it is only now, more than 50 years later, that I understand the commitment of our service people to defense and then the victory that was achieved," said one passenger. "If we had not won here, as we did," added his wife, "the United States could have been invaded and we would have been battling the enemy on our own street corners." |
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