Tuesday, August 14, 2007

General Patton buried here -Hamm Military Cemetery

Hamm Military Cemetery, outside Luxembourg City


Dan Widing at Hamm Military Cemetery, Luxembourg. General Patton's resting place.

It is near 5:00 PM, closing time. Dan is helping lower the flag.













General George S. Patton. World War II. After all his war activity,  many disagreed with his manner and methods. He is revered in Normandy (see France Road Ways), and we expected him to have been buried there. See his biography at http://www.generalpatton.com/biography. Or see the movie, "Patton."

The General is with thousands of American troops right here in Luxembourg, however. Without him, perhaps people like us, just driving around, would not make the side trip to Luxembourg at all. And we would have missed learning so much about this linchpin area. The location is so strategic, and has been for centuries.

Grave, General Patton, Luxembourg: Hamm Military Cemetery

We followed General Patton wherever we could find - and his final resting place is in this Hamm Military Cemetery just outside Luxembourg City.

 This had been his headquarters for a period of time. See http://www.abmc.gov/cemeteries/cemeteries/lx.php"> American Cemetery, Luxembourg His grave is set apart at the front, facing the 8000 graves of his troops.

Christmas 2006: When we read of the trucks of wreaths going to Arlington Cemetery this Christmas, 2006, and saw the pictures of them on the graves there, we thought of all the American service people buried in the huge European graveyards and no wreath program that we could find. Perhaps a few less for Arlington, and a few more to Europe's memorials. We are forgetting.

If you arrive at Hamm just before 5PM, maybe the caretaker will let you help lower the flag.

Patton died in a car accident. I understand that many people disagreed with him, and that he set his own course, but this looks like an exile. Attention should be paid.

Salute, General Patton. Off to the side now, but a giant.

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