Chris' Epic European Battlefield Adventure: Prologue

Grave of an Unknown American. Luxembourg
American Military Cemetery. 27 November 2016.

It has been quite a while since I utilized this blog space. I did not have the time or motivation to blog about any particular topic. I have recently begun a new adventure though, that I am going to document in this space. As always I will abide by my "never use the backspace" concept. Raw thoughts and emotion has always been my style, even if it is long winded. Just as my writing style is unedited, so is all my photography. It's not pretty, but hey neither are the wars that I'm going to attempt to depict for you. So here we go...

I have spent the last two years living in Europe exploring the beautiful yet often tragic history that this continent has to offer. For someone born in the United States, founded in 1776, living in a town that is over 1,200 years old is still hard to comprehend. Understanding the complex history of Europe is a daunting task. It's a lot like building a 1,000 piece puzzle...you start with similar looking pieces and understand it in small sections, then piece those bits together to help you understand the larger picture.

My current endeavor is similar. Long before I joined the military I was interested in the American involvement in the World Wars of the 20th Century. We are less than 100 years removed from these horrific events yet we seem to unintentionally overlook the tremendous battle to end oppression and tyranny in Europe. There were no less than thirty countries involved in these wars. I am looking to uncover this history a couple pieces at a time, and expose for myself and maybe for the couple dozen people that will read this, a little greater appreciation for that which our passing generations fought.

Almost every American can trace their family lineage through participants in the great wars of the first half of the 20th Century. It will be my goal to better understand and tell the story of just a few of these great Americans who twice left the comforts of home to protect the ideals of freedom, that are too often today taken for granted. Along the way I will pay my respects to those from both sides of the battle whose bodies were never returned home. I find dignity in honoring the sacrifice of both sides of the battle. To me the German loss (especially in World War II) is as much a a tragedy because of the tyrant who ordered them into battle on false pretenses.

I invite you to follow this blog over the next 11 days as I explore the WHO, WHEN, WHERE, and WHY of the greatest tragedies and triumphs of World War I and World War II. It is my hope that through my hands on experience, perhaps you can learn a little unique history, and maybe feel a little more connected to the tremendous sacrifices of those who came before us.

-Chris