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This is a great idea for bits of ribbon that you love, but don’t have enough of. I like the additional elements of the charms/beads and bows. It puts a crafty touch to them. My two favorites are the dark one with the brass heart and the lighter one with the single flower and the rhinestone butterfly. Maybe I can snag one in the STS!
I have a great uncle that is recorded as posthumously being awarded a purple heart. No one had heard about that happening and where it would be if one was sent to my great grandparents. He is buried over in Europe. My nephews found his gravesite in a memorial cemetery. There’s a family that takes care of his white cross.
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That’s an amazing story, @irid3sc3nt. The past isn’t really that far away, sometimes.
I’m glad you like my ribbons! I really had fun making them.
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That little bee one has stolen my heart!! All of them are absolutely precious.
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Thank you!
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Most people in Europe still feel deeply grateful towards the countries that came to liberate us in WWII. The war cemeteries are still beautifully kept and decorated for special occasions. Where I live nearly every town has a WWII cemetery and even though I was born decades after the war, it still means a lot to me that these brave young boys came here and fought for my grandparents’ and great grandparents’ freedom. But it’s also very sad to read the headstones, many of those boys didn’t live to see their 20th birthday, and quite a few are anonymous graves.
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My great uncle was the oldest in his family and the story goes that he went because he didn’t want this particular younger brother to have to go because he was a sensitive soul.
He was killed by friendly fire. It devastated my great grandma.
If he had lived he probably would have taken over the farm instead of my grandpa.
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I want to heart this a lot of times….
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Actually all of these family stories about soldiers are really bringing out all of the feels. I have so much gratitude for these brave souls who did, and continue to do, so much for the rest of us!
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How devastating that he was killed by friendly fire. He must have been a very kind and brave person if he wanted to go to war to protect his little brother.
I think in my country, there used to be a maximum of three siblings that were drafted in each family, but my grandfather was the 4th son and he still fought in WWII. I don’t know how that worked, maybe he volunteered? I know when the Germans invaded my country, my grandfather and his 4 brothers were all at the front. They all survived, but they didn’t come out unharmed, the mental scars lasted a lifetime. My country had to surrender pretty quickly - the German tactic of blitz bombing of big cities caused so many civilian deaths, and our army was very small, they never really stood a chance. I know my grandfather and his brothers didn’t think of themselves as WWII vets, because they only spent a short period of time in active combat, and then they were forced to surrender, which I think they felt ashamed of. The brothers struggled to talk about what happened, so I only know the basic facts, I don’t really know any details. Most of the WWII stories I know are from my other set of grandparents, who were a bit younger and lived through the war as teenagers. More and more files are now becoming public so I’ve been thinking about going to the national archives some time to find out more.
I think we all owe a lot to the people who went and fought and sometimes laid down their lives so we can live in safety and freedom, and we must all pray that something like a world war never happens again.
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