Cross of Sacrifice
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The Cross of Sacrifice or War Cross was designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield for the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and is the focal point of the numerous Commonwealth war cemeteries throughout the world. It is a four point limestone Latin cross. On the face of the cross is a bronze sword, blade down. It is usually mounted on an octagonal base. The Cross represents the faith of the majority of the dead and the sword represents the military character of the cemetery.
One is located in Arlington National Cemetery by the graves of United States citizens who enlisted in the Canadian military, and lost their lives during World War I. Proposed in 1925 by Canadian Prime Minister MacKenzie King, it was in part due to Canada entering the war long before the United States, and many Americans enlisted in Canada to join the fighting in Europe.
On June 12, 1925, President Calvin Coolidge approved the request, and on Armistice Day 1927 the monument near the Memorial Amphitheater was dedicated.
The inscription on the cross reaffirms the sentiment expressed by Prime Minister King regarding Americans who served in the Canadian military. Following World War II and the Korean War, similar inscriptions on other faces of the monument were dedicated to the Americans who served in those conflicts. [1]
[edit] References
- ^ Peters, James Edward. Arlington National Cemetery: Shrine to America's Heroes. Woodbine House, 2000.
[edit] External links
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