This is the memorial to the French soldiers who laid down their lives during the Battle of Verdun in 1916.
It is estimated that 700,000 French and German soldiers lost their lives during this battle. There is a cemetery at the memorial, with 15,000 French soldiers buried there.
This is a very moving place. My eldest son Sam was quite upset to see so many young men his age from 100 years ago had lost their lives.
Very poignant Sean, having children the ages of soldiers who died makes you realise the utter futility of war when the ones in power send children to fight and die. Fantastic shot and I love the b&w for this
And another poignant image. I can't imagine seeing all this. We went to Pearl Harbor and I didn't realize until stepping onto the memorial and seeing the oil that continues to leak from the Arizona beneath it just how powerful a memorial like this is. Overwhelming.
I don't recall seeing this before, and it is magnificent. I find places like this difficult to visit, but they do help educate those who haven't experienced war.
@rvwalker Thanks Ross. It was partly funded by the American Nation as well. I agree with you entirely. They always provoke thought in me, and I think they do serve as a folly for man's inhumanity and also as a barometer to stop us doing it again, though sadly the conflict in Egypt and Syria show us that where man is determined to destroy, he will do so with gusto.
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