In Remembrance of World War I

WWI Monument

Along the journey from Amiens back to the France boarding dock at the coast, we stopped at a few Great War sights. I think I’m speaking for everyone in saying the visits to the World War I sites at Albert, La Boisselle, Beaumont-Hamel, Thiepval, and Serre were sentimental and touching.

We stopped at a few memorial sights of both graves and monuments. In one of the battles that lasted one day 60,000 men died. That is about how many LDS missionaries are serving in the entire world right now. There was a monument erected with the names of the 60,000 men on it. I searched through the memorial registry documentation and found 7 Whitworths. I am not sure if any of them are in my direct ancestry, but I was interested and surprised to see my surname (last name) on the wall of the large monument. At one of the grave sights we were given a cross with a poppy flower on it to place in the soil next to a head stone we connected with to show respect. I chose a headstone of a man that died at my age (20 years). On his headstone it said something interesting: “He saved others himself he could not save”. It was really thought provoking in relation to the Savior and this mans great work on earth. Rudyard Kipling (English Poet) designed the inscriptions on the headstones of unidentified men. They all say “Unknown Soldiers, Known Unto God.” 

Perfectly organized crosses over the soil where
bodies lie mixed and mangled twenty feet under.

"Known Unto God" --Rudyard Kipling