Senior Airman Brian Lapiska, from the 86th Airlift Wing's 1st Combat Communications Squadron, Air Force Col. Gary Chesley, the 435th Air Base Wing's Civil Engineer Group commander, Army Lt. Col. Mechelle Hale, the U.S. Army Garrison Kaiserslautern commander, and Spc. Vincent Holtzman, from the garrison's Directorate of Human Resources, render a salute during the Kaiserslautern military community wreath-laying ceremony Sunday during the German National Day of Mourning at the Soldiers' Monument in the Kaiserslautern Cemetery. U.S. Army photo by Christine June, USAG Kaiserslautern.

Photo Details / Download Hi-Res
This eternal flame watches over military graves from World War II at the Soldiers' Monument in the Kaiserslautern Cemetery. U.S. Army photo by Christine June, USAG Kaiserslautern.

Photo Details / Download Hi-Res
Spc. Vincent Holtzman, from the U.S. Army Garrison Kaiserslautern's Directorate of Human Resources and Senior Airman Brian Lapiska, from the 86th Airlift Wing’s 1st Combat Communications Squadron present the Kaiserslautern military community's wreath during the German National Day of Mourning ceremony Sunday at the Soldiers' Monument in the Kaiserslautern Cemetery. U.S. Army photo by Christine June, USAG Kaiserslautern.

Photo Details / Download Hi-Res

National Day of Mourning

Published Nov. 18, 2008
By Christine June
USAG Kaiserslautern

KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany -- Military members from across the KMC participated in the German National Day of Mourning ceremony Sunday at the Soldiers' Monument in the Kaiserslautern Cemetery.

More than 150 people from several different nationalities attended the ceremony. The National Day of Mourning or Volkstrauertag is a public holiday in Germany that is observed two Sundays before the first Advent - the Sunday that is in the period from Nov. 13 to 19.

This German holiday is similar to the United States' "Veteran's Day," except that it commemorates all victims who died during wars. It was first observed in Germany in 1952.

The city of Kaiserslautern and the German Association of War Graves have held the Volkstrauertag wreath-laying ceremony at the Soldiers' Monument in the Kaiserslautern Cemetery for 25 years.