Haunting reminder of millions of lost in war as artists stencil 9,000 bodies onto Normandy beach

London Daily Mail ^ | 9-23-13 | AARON SHARP

[Pharmboy]

British led project covered the famous coastline in poignant silhouettes A team of 500 artists and volunteers contributed the moving installation The 'fallen' were left to be washed away by the tide at the end of the day

A pair of British artists have created this stunning installation of 9,000 silhouettes on a D-Day Landings beach to mark international Peace Day.

The project, named, 'The Fallen' is a tribute to the civilians, German forces and Allies who lost their lives during the Operation Neptune landing on June 6, 1944. The design was the brainchild of Jamie Wardley, 33, and Andy Moss, 50.

Together with a team of volunteers the pair travelled to Arromanches beach, Normandy, to create the silhouettes, which were individually drawn into the sand.

[bgill]

Left to be washed away? As if they had so much free time to deal with the bodies before the tide came in.

[Charles Martel]

I believe that was a reference to the silhouettes created as part of this “tribute”, not the actual D-Day casualties.

[RJS1950]

The results of electing another National Socialist Democrat and letting him and his party take total control.

[Louis Foxwell]

The twitter brained so called artists who are portraying the dead are not honoring anyone. They are politicizing dead soldiers in their vain effort to condemn war. One dead soldier is the same as another for them. There is no attempt with this grisly portrayal to acknowledge heroism, only to dissuade others from engaging in heroic histrionics.

[DoughtyOne]

I agree.

[teeman8r]

touché.

[DoughtyOne]

Thanks. I can empathize with enemy troops to a certain extent, but giving them equal status to troops who have to go in to stop them, is crossing a line I’m not willing to cross. I don’t think we should ever be expected to.

Should we give equal status to the terrorists of 09/11/01, simply because some of them died that day?

Hell no! IMO< that’s the exact sort of equation we’re being asked to buy into here. NO!

[Wyrd bið ful aræd]

Not the same equation at all -- uniformed enemy troops fighting under a formal declaration of war aren't the same as non-uniformed suicide bombers attacking citizens.

I wouldn't suggest honoring German troops (or any foreign troops for that matter, friend or foe) in any official sense or official ceremony (let the Germans do that if they choose) but from a human standpoint one has to acknowledge that their lives mattered to them and their families.

It seems like in this case, all dead soldiers are being exploited by hippies trying to make some kind of useless point.

[DoughtyOne]

Not the same equation at all -- uniformed enemy troops fighting under a formal declaration of war aren't the same as non-uniformed suicide bombers attacking citizens.

If you wish to make that point here, I'll agree to it.  You've already undercut the arguement below though, so we'll be revisiting it in a moment.

I wouldn't suggest honoring German troops (or any foreign troops for that matter, friend or foe) in any official sense or official ceremony (let the Germans do that if they choose) but from a human standpoint one has to acknowledge that their lives mattered to them and their families.

Well, here we are, revisiting it.  Are you saying that just because a suicide bomber is willing to lay down his life for his cause, their lives don't matter to them?  The lives of our members of the military matter to them, but they agree to risk their lives in defense of their righteous cause.  The suicide bomber sees it differently, but they are also making a sacrifice.  Their families also mourn for them.  Our families are thankful their family member died in what is a dignified defense of our nation.  The suicide bomber's family is thankful their loved one sacrificed their life in a way 'supposedly' approved by Allah.  You go too far down a slipery sloap here IMO, when you try to equate equality for the offensive Germans vs the counter force allies.  First of all, I don't buy into the idea that a majority of the German soldiers were serving in the German armed forces against their will, and were not proud to be representing the motherland.  I don't buy into that at all.  Did it exist?  Undoubtedly.  Was it by far the majority mindset for the German troop on the ground?  Sorry, not buying it.  By the end of the war, the final days, perhaps.  In the thick of things when their military was prevailing, I think the German troup was proud and inspired to be participating.

It seems like in this case, all dead soldiers are being exploited by hippies trying to make some kind of useless point.

I agree with that.  Of course hippies make no distinction between right vs wrong, morals vs moral equivelance.  Every person who dies is just an innocent.  Every person serving on the field is of equal value.  Nobody is better than anyone else.  It doesn't matter if the Germans were occupying much of Europe, the countering allies were no more righteous in their efforts.  Bullshit!

Every U. S. Citizen and ally of ours who died in Europe, is my father, brother, uncle, or grand-father.  If you think I'm going to equate a German fighting for what they were, with my father fighting for what he was, you have another think coming.

It is unfortunate that some Germans didn't want to be participating.  Hard choices must be made in life.  If it came down to whether I was going to die, or I was going to have to kill men sent there to stop me, it would be a choice I would have to consider, hopefully putting my life up for termination rather than a foreign national who had to be there to stop me.

The German populace should have told Hitler to go F himself.  "We won't support your war of occupying all of Europe and beyond."

[the scotsman]

Ignorance of the project planners.

[teeman8r]

and including the murdering idiots in the memorial at columbine as victims too, makes me wonder about the extent of political correctness and how it has gone far from being sane.

hang in there.

t

[DoughtyOne]

Yep your right.

Sometimes I argue on principle regarding issues and don’t mean to necessarily take an individual to task. I appreciate you taking my comments in that light.

Your point about uniformed declared combatants vs terrorists is quite valid as it relates to certain discussions. I want to make it clear I don’t view them the same on most matters.

[TheCause]

I stand with you. Our fallen earned far better treatment.

[DoughtyOne]

Thanks. I appreciate the note of agreement.