At 10 o' clock this morning, all guests on board the Independence OTS were invited to Studio B to honor those who served in World War II. May 7 was the 80th anniversary of the Nazi's unconditional surrender, ending the war in Europe.
Cruise director Natalie had a powerful reading to begin the memorial, then she invited all veterans from any wars to come to the main floor. Seeing all of those who fought to defend our freedom, and remembering those who died made me cry.
Then three singers from the crew, one each from Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States sang in turn each country's national anthem. I put my hand over my heart for each one and cried some more. It was incredibly moving, and the woman who sang the "Star Spangled Banner" was extraordinary -- great voice, great presence on the floor and sang it the way it was written! Mom sang with her, the entire National Anthem.
I broke down completely when the trumpeter from the orchestra stepped out and played taps.
The closing recitation was "In Flanders Field," the poem that commemorates World War I -- the War to End All Wars. As we stood silently for a few moments, I prayed that there would be no more wars and no more young people giving the last full measure of devotion to preserve our liberties which so many people seem to hold so lightly.
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