Saturday, November 11, 2017

National Military Cemetery

It is Remembrance Day today, and I will be mostly offline, attending the national ceremony and visiting the War Museum. Back in April, on Good Friday, I visited two cemeteries in the Vanier area, east of the downtown core, and did a series on both of them. Beechwood Cemetery is a designated national cemetery, 160 acres of quiet graves, with prominent figures of local and national history buried here. It also features two sections that are designated as a National Military Cemetery. This is the newer section, and feeling that it was ideal for today, I placed these shots here.

Flags oversee the stretch of graves, and a cenotaph stands between them. There will be ceremonies here today in addition to the national ceremony at the War Memorial. The graves, laid out in the style of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, which has operated since the First World War, are (or will be) final resting places for those who have served in the military, with allowance for one additional family member to be buried with them.

24 comments:

  1. Some impressive and sobering sights here. We have a national cemetery south of Ocala about 30 miles, and have visited that. There are literally thousands of grave stones laid out in rows. As a former member of the U.S. Navy, I and my wife can be buried there and that's probably what will happen.

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  2. Fitting post for today. Thank you.

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  3. @Lowell: that is a good idea.

    @Kay: you're welcome.

    @Marleen: it is a peaceful place.

    @Tom: many indeed.

    @Francisco: thank you.

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  4. From the beginning untill the end very impressive, William.

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  5. Have a good day at tall the ceremonies.

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  6. A good post for the day, William. I watched the ceremony from Ottawa on TV this morning.

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  7. Seeing so many graves is heartbreaking. Each and all of them will be remembered. xo

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  8. @Jan: I found the location very moving.

    @Cloudia: I thought so.

    @Sharon: it was quite a day, and a cold one!

    @RedPat: we had clear skies for it.

    @Tamago: it was a peaceful spot.

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  9. Your photos remind me of the line, " the crosses row on row."

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  10. Very poignant and fitting for today.

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  11. Hubby has always visited ceremonies when healthy. This year, a bit of a twist, we went to the kids' home for his birthday, which is next week. We taped the ceremony and watched it last night then fell into bed. We're getting tired!

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  12. A very good post for this weekend

    All the best Jan

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  13. @Red: it certainly qualifies here.

    @Denise: I thought so.

    @Janey: it certainly is.

    @Jennifer: it was quite a ceremony to take in personally.

    @Jan: thank you.

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  14. i know it is a sad view to think of all men and women who have past on, but what an honor that they felt an action to protect their place they did call home. so lovely. gorgeous shots. ( ;

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  15. Reminds me of our Arlington National Cemetery.

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