This past weekend Kathy & I, along with her cousins from Nebraska, took a day trip to the Andersonville National Cemetery and POW camp in southern Georgia. What a humbling experience! Kathy discovered, while doing family history research, that she has family members who were held in the POW camp at Andersonville during the Civil War. The two family members were part of the fortunate minority that survived incarceration and returned home after the war.
Our first stop was the National Prisoner of War Museum. This facility pays tribute to all POWs from all United States wars. This facility is located adjacent to the Andersonville POW camp and National Cemetery.
Life in the POW camp was horrible. Overcrowding. Shortages of food & water. Unsanitary. Limited medical care.
Standing among the markers of the almost 13,000 soldiers that are buried in this cemetery was a moving experience. So many are buried here and this is only one of many national military cemeteries around the country. Being there brings a small amount of understanding the sacrifices these soldiers made to ensure the security and safety of this country. May we never forget their sacrifices.
