Commentary: , Letters from Europe:

The forgetting will be their second death

GRENOBLE, France - I have lived in France now for slightly over a year, and in that year I have seen many commemorations, notably those associated with the liberation of France during the Second World War 60 years ago. My apartment is located in the city center, within a short walking distance of the former Palace of Justice and the old City Hall is located on my street. There are several plaques in the small courtyard next to the old City Hall, notably one commemorating the declaration of the city council to support the actions of the Consul General in Paris that started the French Revolution, another noting the acceptance of the city council of the Rights of Man when the French Republic was restored after World War II, and a small marble plaque that thanks the commander of the US Paratrooper brigade that liberated the town in 1945. These plaques are less than 10 yards from a section of wall constructed by the Romans to defend the town during their Empire.

History weighs more heavily here than those of us of the New World fully realize.

Contrary to what is popularly perceived in some circles, the French are very aware of their debt to the United States from the Second World War. For every holiday or anniversary associated with the war, I am asked how it is celebrated in the United States. My response that there are no holidays directly associated with World War II, instead we have Veterans Day to honor all of our soldiers, brings a moment of pause to my questioners.

Late last year large placards were posted around town saluting the Partisans of the Second World War, with each placard bearing a photo of one of those being honored. A couple of weeks ago similar banners were hung around town, but this time the photos were different. Some were obviously from identity documents because they had some kind of stamp that could be seen crossing the photo.

The titles on these placards was of a different tone than the celebration of deeds of the Partisans. The photo above is one I took today, click on it for a larger image.

The best translation of the meaning in the title is "The forgetting will be their second death."

Each sign has a different photo, with a name, birthdate, and date of death.

Below that, the epitaph "Victim of the Holocaust".

The forgetting will be their second death.

Cambodia

Rawanda

Bosnia

Darfur

The list goes on.

The forgetting will be their second death.

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