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Last Post - Ieper - 11/05/2008
Hieronder een aantal foto's van de Last
Post op zondag 11 mei 2008 om 20.00 uur aan de Menenpoort
te Ieper. Deze plechtigheid stond in het teken van de 60e
verjaardag van AFS (American Field Service) Vlaanderen. Speciale
gast was H.K.H. Prinses Astrid die vergezeld was van haar
man Aartshertog Lorenz.
AFS tijdens de Grote Oorlog: AFS begon zijn activiteiten
in een militair hulphospitaal gevestigd in het Lyceum Pasteur
te Neuilly-sur Seine, Parijs. Deze vrijwillige, door burgers
gefinanceerde Amerikaanse ambulance, een uitbreiding van het
Amerikaans Hospitaal van Parijs, opende zijn deuren in september
1914. Op het einde van de oorlog hadden 2.500 mensen gediend
in AFS voor het Franse leger.
127 AFS ambulancebestuurders verloren het leven tijdens het
redden van levens van gewonde soldaten gedurende de Grote
Oorlog. AFS vrijwilligers werden gelauwerd met 2 Legion d’Honneur,
5 Medaille Militaire, 245 Croix de Guerre en 21 Section Citations.
Voor meer details en geschiedenis van AFS: www.afs.org.
En AFS Vlaanderen: www.afsvlaanderen.be
Please find below a few photographs of the Last
Post ceremony on Sunday, May, 11th, 2008, at 8.00 PM the
Menin
Gate at Ieper. The AFS (American Field Service) Flanders
has celebrated their 60th Anniversary on Sunday 11 May 2008.
H.R.H Princess Astrid of Belgium attended the Last Post Ceremony
at 20.00hrs.
AFS in the Great War: AFS began its operations in an auxiliary
military hospital, located in the high school building of
Lycée Pasteur in Neuilly-sur-Seine, Paris. This volunteer-run,
civilian-financed American Ambulance, an extension of the
nearby American Hospital of Paris, opened its doors in September
of 1914. By the end of the war, 2,500 men had served in the
American Field Service with the French Armies.
127 AFS ambulance drivers lost their lives while saving
the lives of wounded soldiers during the battles of WWI. AFS
volunteers were decorated with 2 Legion d’Honneur, 5
Medaille Militaire, 245 Croix de Guerre and 21 Section Citations.
For more details and history of AFS: www.afs.org.
Not yet 7.00 PM: Philippe Dochy, member, and Guy Gruwez,
honorary chairman of the Last Post Association, are already
busy with indicating the places of the special guests of tonight.
At the left: security agents checking everything.
The wreaths are already in place.
Arrival of the AFS.
Guy Gruwez greats the royal guests.
The part reserved for the AFS was a bit to small for all
of them.
Address by Guy Gruwez.
HRH Lorenz, husband of Princess Astrid.
At the left: Belgian Prime Minister Yves Leterme.
At the left: Luc Dehaene, burgomaster of Ieper.
At the left: Carl Denys, press officer of the Last Post Association.
At lof of young people under the Menin Gate.
'In Flanders Fields, the poppies grow', the poem of John
McCrae.
Music by the Norwich City Concert Band.
The Last Post by the buglers.
Followed by the Exhortation and one minute of silence.
A lament played by Eric Remy.
Poppies came down at this very special occasion.
Laying of the wreaths.
Music by the Talgarth Male Voice Choir.
The Reveille.
Followed by the national anthems of Belgium and Great Britain.
The guestst thank the buglers,
greet the members of the Last
Post Association,
and sign the book of honour.
Afterwards the guests took plenty of time to meet with the
public.
Greeting the visitors who were outsite the gate.
Time for goodbye.
Deze rubriek staat open voor iedereen.
Ook jij kunt foto's doorsturen voor de rubriek "Je was er
bij". Ons adres: info@westhoek.be
Everyone can send pictures for these pages "You were
there". Our address: info@westhoek.be
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