Ceremonies in French City Mark 100 Years of Honoring American Unknown Soldier
Military News
Ceremonies in French City Mark 100 Years of Honoring American Unknown Soldier
25 Oct 2021
Stars and Stripes | By Erik Slavin
CHALONS-EN-CHAMPAGNE, France One hundred years ago, an Army sergeant looked over four caskets draped in American flags inside the city hall here and chose the U.S. soldier who would embody the sacrifice of everything, even his name, to a cause greater than himself.
French and American soldiers stood guard that night, never leaving the Unknown Soldiers side.
On Saturday and Sunday, hundreds gathered for a vigil, a military parade and other ceremonies dedicated to that soldier and the many others he represents.
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A horse-drawn carriage in front of Town Hall Oct. 24, 2021, re-creates the Unknown Soldiers journey from Town Hall in Châlons-en-Champagne to a train bound for Le Havre, France, Oct. 24, 1921. (U.S. European Command)
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