On Tue, 22 Dec 2009 15:19:37 +0000, Chris Tolley
(ukonline really) wrote:

Robert Coe wrote:

that inscription has also been allowed to deteriorate. It's inlaid (in
a contrasting color) in a marble floor with high pedestrian traffic
and has become quite worn

Some folk might view that as a healthy way to install a memorial of that
nature. It is after all, only truly a \memorial\ only for as long as
there are still people around who can put faces to the names, and that
is becoming a dwindlingly small number in the case of WW2, is more or
less zero for WW1, and has been zero for the US Civil War for pretty
well a century.

Not really a Century for the US Civil war, the last Union Veteran died
about 1956 ,last Confederate 1958. Presumably as is the way of
these things there were a fair no that survived to the 1930's and some
long lived ones who made it a further 20 years. Either way there must
be a reasonable no of people around 80 ish who as a child would have
had a Grandad who served in that conflict. By some convoluted method
involving remarriage the last widows pension was paid until 2004.

I agree with your point though.

G.Harman

wrote:

Not really a Century for the US Civil war, the last Union Veteran died
about 1956 ,last Confederate 1958. Presumably as is the way of
these things there were a fair no that survived to the 1930's and some
long lived ones who made it a further 20 years. Either way there must
be a reasonable no of people around 80 ish who as a child would have
had a Grandad who served in that conflict. By some convoluted method
involving remarriage the last widows pension was paid until 2004.

My "pretty well a century" was a finger-in-the-air job. I'm genuinely
surprised that the veterans lasted that long.
--
http://gallery120232.fotopic.net/p13857145.html
("Europe's Heaviest Train" plaque on 59 005 at Merehead, 26 Jun 1994)