I had heard of the cemetery from a story I read when we visited a museum in Dover. The story was just on a yellow piece of paper slipped inside a sheet protector and taped to the wall, but I took a photo of it because I never wanted to forget it.
It would probably be worth my time to type it up so it's easier to read, but I don't have time to do that right now. If anyone would like a copy send me an email and it will motivate me to get it done! (And hopefully it wouldn't be illegal.) If you have the patience and good eyes, I highly recommend reading it here.
The cemetery is immaculate, just as the story described. It was also very peaceful. Richard gave the kids a little pep talk about reverence and respect and the hallowed ground of places like this.
There are 3,812 men and women buried in the cemetery, including military personnel and American civilians who lost their lives while working in England during the war. Then there is a wall of the 5,127 missing men and women who died at sea or whose bodies were never recovered. (Including the brother of John F. Kennedy.)
I'm personally grateful for the bravery and self-sacrifice of the men and women who lost their lives during this and other wars. I was also moved by the examples of unselfish service and genuine love and brotherhood that motivated many of the men who died. Richard and I talked about how military service can be rough around the edges. The men sometimes have a reputation of being vulgar and reckless or arrogant. But they exhibited levels of charity neither of us could claim to have and we were honored to read their stories.