In peace, some sons bury their fathers; in war, fathers bury their sons…
German War Cemetery, Dagneux
The simple true words of Herodotus.
I never expected to see a cemetery for German war dead in France.
In 2010 I had passed so many cemeteries of Allied war dead; row upon row of small white crosses in immaculately kept cemeteries.
Now on the pilgrim route to Jerusalem, as I took a right turn after Balan and headed towards Perouges, a sign post caught my eye for Cimetière militaire allemand de Dagneux.
19,847 dead young soldiers. All sent to their graves by the orders of their masters. For what?
Nothing brings home the futility of war like seeing these graves, whether Allies or German dead.
It was always considered a noble thing to die for your country. Much better to live for it.
The victims are always ordinary people going about their daily struggles and young men fed as cannon fodder.
No land is worth the shedding of a drop of anyones blood.
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