We had the opportunity on Thursday of week six, our "Vatican" Holy Week, to visit the military cemetery near Anzio in Netunno. The cemetery is one of many around the world maintained by the US government in foreign countries. This was a moving experience. I visited Arlington cemetery in Washington before, but this was different being in a foreign county and seeing all those white markers. We all started talking about our favorite war movies, especially Saving Private Ryan. We were also able to look up names of all personnel that were buried anywhere overseas. We found John's (one of the students) grandfather. He is buried in Belgium. John knew he was killed in action, but he didn't know where. The cemetery is a beautiful place, a very spiritual place. The meaning hit home for me when Danilo said how proud Italians were to host the cemetery. And how important it was to them. How meaningful it was to them. And, how grateful they were to the Americans who liberated them from the Germans. He was very eloquent and moving in his description. I wish all the students had been with him and I to hear him speak about the meaning of the cemetery to Italians.
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