Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Wrong Place, Wrong Time . . .

While out walking to take a picture of the 2CV above, I stumbled on this monument which I'd never seen before at the edge of the village of Louvres that I go by every day on my way to work, but had never stopped to poke around in.
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France has small monuments like this all over the country, after having hosted two world wars on her soil, there were uncountable incidents that merit remembering. As there has been alot in the press this week for the 65th D-Day anniversary, I wanted to post this in the spirit of rememberance of French victims of that conflict. Many young people participated in the resistance, right up to the end of the war, and many paid dearly for their actions. . . like the four young men this monument remembers.
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It reads : Here perished four valiant FFI (French Interior Forces = Resistance) who were taken prisoner and shot by the Germans on 29 August 1944 at 21h00, the eve of the liberation of the town of Louvres.
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Two were 20, two were 18, their lives in front of them, cut short . . .
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12 comments:

joo said...

There's much to be remembered, in France and in all Europe!

Adam said...

And interesting to note of course that this happened AFTER D-Day. France wasn't liberated on June 6th, that was just the beginning.

DU STYLE ET DE L' ART said...

Oui il ne faut rien oublier !

Steve said...

The sculpture is very moving... not a typical arrangement but it works.

Loulou said...

Interesting sculpture indeed and... what texture!...
Very touching, the so young ages of those guys, at the birth of their life...
well....
see you
Loulou

Anonymous said...

That is such a moving and touching dedication...represents such a small portion of men who paid the price for our freedom...thanks Owen.

ArtSparker said...

Strangely private piece of public art, in that the grief is unseen.

Jo said...

What an amazing monument!

Owen said...

Thanks all for stopping by... I'm too dead tired to do individual answers, am off to bed for six hours of beauty sleep. So many stories like this all over France; and all over Europe... hell, all over the world. Lives cut short because people just can't seem to get along with each other... and it continues today... :-(

@eloh said...

There are some very heart felt monuments in the Pacific . On Okinawa there is one of a group of school children... seeing a childs image in stone seems to render one speechless.

Isn't it touching that the one in your picture appears to have blood dripping on his shoe.

Owen said...

@Eloh, I was thinking the same thing about the reddish lichen on the shoe... was wondering if anyone would pick up on that... have not yet travelled in the Pacific, sounds fascinating...

Catherine said...

what a simple but moving tribute tucked away... I found by accident last wknd the French cemetery tucked away here in DF...will post about it at wknd..