Memorial Day is celebrated in the United States to honor and remember all those who gave their lives fighting for their country.  Wreaths are laid on their graves, parades are held in their honor and speeches applaud their heroism.

But with each Memorial Day we should also remember the wars fought and the overall impact these have had on innocent lives, especially those who did not chose to put their lives in jeopardy.

Living in Europe I am constantly reminded of the impact that World War II had on Europe and in particular in Italy as I travel around to the many places that still bear the ugly scars. In my last post, I mentioned the guide from the church at Santa Caterina in Treviso and his still felt pain over the loss of famed frescoes during the bombing.

Being a student of history I had read much about the war and seen numerous documentaries and films about WWII. My father and uncle were part of that “greatest generation” who went off to war and my uncle often spoke of the loss of buddies. During my trip to Padova in 2012 to see the Scrovegni Chapel, I also visited the Church of the Eremitani and saw personally for the first time damage to priceless frescoes.  Instead of restorations that we have become accustomed to, there were big gaping blank areas where the pieces of the frescoes had been lost to the bombs or irreparably damaged.  Sometimes there was an outline of what the rest of the fresco originally looked like. Since that time I am reminded time and again as I travel through Italy and Europe of the devastation of the bombs.

Once Hitler took over in Italy, the industrial north, where I travel frequently, became a key target for the bombings in terms of factories and railways stations.  But like so much in war, the civilians living in these areas were often killed and their cultural treasures lay in ruins. And this was repeated in many places in Italy and all over Europe.

The movie “The Monuments Men” tried to explain why it was important to the save these works of art as they represented centuries of history and culture that were part of the fabric of these people’s lives. When I was in London, I was moved to tears by pictures of the devastation around St Paul’s as I learned that often people would pour water on the dome of the church to save it from fires while possibly neglecting their own homes.  But St Paul’s was such a symbol to them, that saving it was a beacon of hope and resolve and was more important in their eyes.

And some was just wanton destruction by retreating German troops as in the bombing of the bridge in Verona.  The bridge served no strategic purpose but was just part of the Nazis’ retreating tactics.  But the people of Verona went into the river and saved what stones they could and rebuilt the bridge as a testament to the value they placed on their past. When you look at the bridge (top photo) you can see the different colors that represent the old stones mingled with newer ones.

Bologna- Old and New

In Bologna much bombing occurred in the area around the train station and the newer buildings appear as a fresh scar in the midst of the medieval ones.  These buildings are a constant reminder of the lives lost and homes destroyed that had stood for centuries.  In Parma they decided to leave a major building showing its scars of the bombing as a reminder of the lasting impact of war.  When you do see restored or reconstructed buildings often they show pictures of the devastation that the bombs left behind.

In Italy they celebrate Liberation Day when Italy was finally free from the grip of the Nazis and it is during this day that they remember those who sacrificed their lives, not only the soldiers but also the civilians who fought bravely as part of the resistance movement.

In the United States, we do not see the visible scars of war such as you find in Europe though the Pearl Harbor Memorial is sacred to all those who lost their lives that day.

So I honor all those who have sacrificed their lives and grateful that there are those who have the courage to do so, but these scars are a constant admonition of what war brings and one can only hope that devastation on this scale is never seen again.  But wars still continues to plague our lives and new scars are formed all too often.