Yesterday at Fort Sheridan, a little decommissioned Army base on Lake Michigan tucked in between Lake Forest, Highwood, and Highland Park. The south end of the former base is now an upscale housing development. Its north end still serves as an Army Reserve facility. In between, overlooking Lake Michigan, is a small military cemetery containing the graves of soldiers who served from the Spanish American War to Desert Storm.
This one struck me as especially poignant. I don't know anything about Arthur Lecour, other than he died 9 days before the Armistice that ended the "war to end all wars."
To Arthur Lecour, and all others who served and sacrificed, thank you.
UPDATE
Fred Bauman writes:
Lecour's 161st Depot Brigade appears to have been based at Camp Grant:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camp_Grant_%28Illinois%29It is worth noting that in 1918 the Spanish Influenza Pandemic affected over 4,000, taking the lives of over 1,000 soldiers at Camp Grant between the 23rd of September and the 1st of October.
Tragically, it is probable that Arthur was a later victim of the same pandemic, which all around the world killed many able-bodied young men packed into the close quarters of military service, where this communicable disease had free reign.
Which changes nothing, of course, as far as your dedication goes. To Arthur and all those like him who made their sacrifices on behalf of our nation --- the millions who served, the hundreds of thousands who were wounded or killed --- we owe undying gratitude.
