Those of you who regularly read Steven Goff's Washington Post blog will already be familiar with this. Others may also be interested, however. On June 6, 2009, a soccer game will be played in the town of St.-Pierre Eglise, France, which is near Cherbourg, between American and French amateur teams. The purpose of the game is to commemorate one between American and French teams that was held in the same town on July 24, 1944, shortly after it had been liberated. The American team in the 1944 game came from an Army Air Force unit that was temporarily stationed at an airfield a few miles away. The American team in next month's game will be from the American air base at Ramstein, Germany. The game has been organized by a Dutchman, named Jan Milders, who lives in St.-Pierre Eglise, with help from various people, including many Americans.
Any place on the planet where a bunch of young men got their legs shot off can be the same spot years on where people can gather to have some beers, have some laughs and play a game of soccer is IMHO the ideal way to honor those peoples's sacrifice if you know what I mean. "We're here today to do what we want to do cuz you guys were here first to do what fell upon you" kind of thanks. Well done by that Dutchman.