Summer 2009

Page 2

During my travels I don't all that often tend to do very many "touristy" things. I'd rather try to get a feel for what it would be like to live in a particular city or country, not just visit it. Maybe that's why it took until this trip (my 16th to Thailand, if I haven't lost count by now) to finally visit one of its famous sites--the Bridge on the River Kwai. This bridge was made famous by the movie of that title. The bridge was part of the construction of a railroad connecting Thailand and Burma (Myanmar). It was a project overseen by Japanese military forces, constructed by POWs and civilian slaves during WWII. Thousands died during the project. The city of Kanchanaburi, the site of the bridge, now has several memorials dedicated to the memory of those who died.

 

As I walked to the bridge from my hotel, I passed by a soccer field and noticed an interesting symbol. Unfortunately I cannot read Thai, but it certainly appears to be related to the famous bridge in some fashion.

 

 

Almost across the street from the soccer field is a War Cemetery which holds the remains of some of those who perished during the construction.

 

 

Here's one example of a tombstone in the War Cemetery. Each seemed to have a unique epitaph, which makes me wonder if families were able to have some input. Looking at just some of the stones, I saw a range of ages from 18-43. That's awfully young to die from being overworked and mistreated, which suggests just how bad their treatment was.