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30 Days of Photos - #8 A Stranger


Hey, don't forget to visit dufus daze for this week's collection of  the best in the week's editorial cartoons - something we call Sunday Funnies. We now return you to our regularly scheduled program.

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Welcome to 30 Days of Photos, where 18 bloggers are participating in posting a photo a day for 30 days. Here are the other 17 you can visit after you've been here:

Ziva, Mike, Nicky & Mike, Mo, Meleah, Bryan, Mariann, Malissa, Nora, Laughing Mom, Tanya, Elizabeth, 00dozo, Cheryl, Kristen and Katherine


At the foot of Ottawa's National War Memorial which I spoke of on Day 6 is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. A 12 by 8 foot granite sarcophagus encloses a coffin which contains his remains. The unidentified soldier was retrieved from a cemetery near Vimy Ridge, the site of a famous Canadian battle of World War I. 

While Canadian troops successfully beat back the Germans after several days 3,598 Canadians died in the skirmish, including the stranger in the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. 

Interestingly enough, the attack was to commence on this day in 1917. Instead, at the request of our French Allies it was postponed for 24 hours. The battle concluded April 12th. Unfortunately "conclusion" held a whole other meaning for our friend above.
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Comments

Cheryl said…
All around the world, we create these works of art to honor our warriors who quite literally never came home. There are simply no words for the sadness I feel about this and war in general.
8 April 2012 at 09:07
Ziva said…
Oh dufus, have you taken over the death theme from Mike now that he's finally posting photos of live people? But it's a beautiful take on the theme, one that I never even thought about. Just, beautiful. :)
8 April 2012 at 09:10
Cheryl P. said…
Very nice entry today (again) Dufus. Graves of "unknown" soldiers always make me sad. A shame to have given so much and never made it home to loved ones.
8 April 2012 at 10:31
Unfinished Person said…
At first I thought like Ziva, but then I read what you wrote and understand. A beautiful take, indeed, on today's theme.

Now I'm off to check out your choice for this week's best editorial cartoons...
8 April 2012 at 10:31
Linda Medrano said…
I love cemeteries and find such charm and history in the populations. I love this "Unknown Soldier" photo and the write up you did. Wonderful!
8 April 2012 at 12:27
laughing mom said…
This is a beautiful shot. I saw this memorial on the page that you directed me to and am glad that you chose it for today's theme. Such a gallant use for the word "stranger."
8 April 2012 at 12:37
Quirky Loon said…
And for some strange reason Blanch Dubois infamous line comes to mind: I've always counted of the kindness of strangers.

We all have done it without realizing it.

Thank-you dear Stranger for fighting for what was and is "right."
8 April 2012 at 12:56
nonamedufus said…
I thought I might be pushing things doing something similar to Day 6 but the tomb of the unknown soldier cried out for "stranger". I couldn't resist. And kinda apt for Easter.
8 April 2012 at 14:27
nonamedufus said…
As soon as I saw it at the foot of the war memorial I knew I had my "stranger". Thanks, Ziva.
8 April 2012 at 14:29
nonamedufus said…
The ironic thing is when I did some research I discovered the Vimy Ridge battle, in which the Unknown Soldier died, was to have actually begun on this day. That kind of freaked me out.
8 April 2012 at 14:31
nonamedufus said…
Thanks Bryan. Glad you and others like it. And, hey, thanks for the ongoing support and promotion of Sunday Funnies. appreciate it.
8 April 2012 at 14:33
nonamedufus said…
Thanks, Linda. It helps to know we have such memorials in our cities for a reason.
8 April 2012 at 14:33
nonamedufus said…
I know. I was kind of getting ahead of myself. But now you have the history of the tomb too.
8 April 2012 at 14:34
nonamedufus said…
Thanks for that wonderful thought, Quirks.
8 April 2012 at 14:35
Katherine Murray said…
Wow, how incredibly moving. Absolutely moving!
8 April 2012 at 17:42
Mo "Mad Dog" Stoneskin said…
I've seen a few "unknown soldier" graves, and always found them stirring. I think because a) feeling unknown is something I relate to and b) perhaps they represent a lot more. You've caught it well too, and the colours, granite and black, strike me more than anything.
8 April 2012 at 18:25
00dozo said…
What a great approach for today's theme and I truly enjoy the historic tidbits that have been accompanying your photos. They compliment each other so well.

I've only visited Ottawa once (yeah, I'm a bad Canadian). It was a grade school class trip and we stayed overnight at the Ottawa Jail Hostel but our tour didn't include the Tomb. I can probably now attribute that omission due to the fact we were too young to appreciate the significance of it.

As for tomorrow's theme, can I expect a photo of a politician?

;-)
8 April 2012 at 18:39
mikewjattoomanymornings said…
First, I'd like to point out that I'm not the only one obsessed with death.

Second, nice take on today's theme, NoName. I always feel horrible for people who die unknown, unremembered.
8 April 2012 at 18:57
Mike said…
Great take on today's theme, Dufus.
8 April 2012 at 19:45
Kristen said…
I love that you are kind of doing a theme of your own. Great photo. Great take. Great description.
8 April 2012 at 23:28
nonamedufus said…
Thanks, Katherine. Sad but important to remember.
9 April 2012 at 08:11
nonamedufus said…
I think we always want to know who these people are, what their lives were like, how they died and so on.
9 April 2012 at 08:12
nonamedufus said…
I think the tomb is a recent addition. So it probably wasn't there when you visited. I'm glad you liked the pic.
9 April 2012 at 08:14
nonamedufus said…
Thanks, Mike. While you can be ghoulish you're still a nice ghoul,mer, guy.
9 April 2012 at 08:16
nonamedufus said…
I can be like that. Take the path less travelled, you know.
9 April 2012 at 08:18
meleahrebeccah said…
Best photo of the day for stranger.
9 April 2012 at 12:29
00dozo said…
You're right. The Tomb was added in 2000. But I always thought there was one - or some type of memorial - due to the fact that Canada's Remembrance Day ceremonies - as far back as I can remember (pun not intended) - have always been conducted on Parliament Hill.
9 April 2012 at 12:45
nonamedufus said…
Wow, Meleah. Thanks!
9 April 2012 at 14:54
nonamedufus said…
Oh, yeah, the actual memorial was completed in the 30s. So it's been there a while.
9 April 2012 at 14:56
Christopher Simpson said…
I wonder if anyone has thought of taking a DNA sample and testing it against family types to see if they could identify the Unknown Soldier? It would solve a long-standing mystery, bring closure to a family, and raise interest in our military's history again.

Like the others, I'm loving the informational nuggets that go with these photos.
12 April 2012 at 14:14
Christopher Simpson said…
(Damn -- that wasn't supposed to be under my real name. Somehow there's an odd irony in that.)
12 April 2012 at 14:15
nonamedufus said…
That's an excellent idea. I wonder why they haven't thought of it? It's surely cheaper than F-35s.
12 April 2012 at 15:54
nonamedufus said…
Don't worry. I don't really give a damn, frankly.
12 April 2012 at 15:55
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