This memorial was dedicated in 1925 to the 837 men and women from Windsor and Essex County who made the ultimate sacrifice during World War I, "the war to end all wars". It is located in Optimist Memorial Park, with 50 acres of mature trees, walking trails, picnic amenities, playground and a dog park.
The memorial was rededicated in 2008 to also honour the men and women of Windsor and Essex County who served in WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan. The monument was originally located further into the park, but was moved to its present location in 2014 after being vandalized. The sparkling polished granite can now be seen clearly by all who pass by.
If you travel around the surrounding South Walkerville neighourhood, you will see that many of the streets were named after WWI battles or prominent figures of the time.
The memorial stands on Ypres Boulevard. Ypres (now Ieper) is a town in the province of West Flanders, Belgium. Many of us pronounce the name Ee-pray, but it is properly pronounced as Ee-pruh. It held a strategic position in the path of Germany's planned movement into France from neutral Belgium in the north. The invasion brought Britain and its colonies, including Canada into the war. There were three battles fought at Ypres, the first was October 19 to November 22, 1914. The loosely connected and commanded Allied forces were surprised by the strength of their German foe, and bloody trench warfare ensued. The Allies eventually captured the town with heavy losses on both sides. On the following Christmas Eve, Ypres was the site of an informal Christmas truce, when soldiers from both sides laid down their weapons, climbed from their trenches, exchanged greetings, souvenirs and food, and sang carols. The peace lasted one day and fighting resumed.
The second battle April 22-May 25 1915 saw the introduction of poisonous chlorine gas used by the Germans. Canadian surgeon Lt. Gen. John McCrae wrote the well known poem In Flanders Fields as a tribute to a friend killed in this battle, and it was first published that year.
The third was the Battle of Passchendaele, July 31-November 6 1917, where in unimaginably wet and filthy conditions, French, British, Canadian, as well as Australian and New Zealand (ANZAC) forces recaptured the ridge east of town at a terrible cost of life to both sides and almost total obliteration of the town. This battle came to signify the brutality of war and the immense suffering of those on the front lines.
The Battle of Verdun was fought February 21-December 18 1916 on the western front in France and was the longest battle of WWI. This battle was fought with barrages of heavy artillery that tore up everything in their path, turning the clay soil into a sea of mud. Conditions were horrific beyond description and both sides suffered tremendous losses.
The Battle of Vimy Ridge took place April 9-12, 1917, as Canadian Expeditionary Forces aided by British Artillery took back control of the German-held high ground. It was the first time four divisions from all over Canada fought together, under the command of General Julian Byng. The battle came to symbolize Canada's coming of age as a nation. Vimy Ridge was a highly planned offensive using lessons learned by the French at Verdun. In 1922 France ceded land in this area to Canada in perpetuity and in 1936 an impressive marble sculpture was unveiled that bears the names of the soldiers who died with no known graves.
To log your find at this virtual cache, please message me the answers to the following questions, as well as a photo identifying your presence at the cache site. Only one member of a group need send the answers on behalf of the group. Do not post your answers in your Found It log!
1. A) What surname is repeated four times on the monument, with three of them having the same first name? B) What column are the names in?
2. How many poppies can you find within 25 meters (82 feet) of GZ (posted coordinates)? Count only permanently affixed poppies, not ones left on a movable wreath.
3. State the total number of bolts connecting the wrought iron gates to the concrete and brick pillars.
4. Include a picture of yourself, your group or something of yours with a recognizable part of the monument in the background. You do not need to show your face.
Virtual Rewards 3.0 - 2022-2023
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between March 1, 2022 and March 1, 2023. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 3.0 on the Geocaching Blog.