Henry patch, a 110-year-old British veteran from World War I, pauses in reflection at the German cemetery at Langemark, Belgium.

The German cemetery at Langemark is a somber place.

No white crosses here, no sunlight glinting off white stone. The stones, embedded in the ground, are black. The statues, deep in the shadows, are dark. In one mass grave, a simple garden rectangle, there are almost 25,000 remains.

Walking among the stones, I saw a very old man, in a wheelchair, bent over in thought or prayer. On his jacket was a row of medals.

I could not leave without knowing his story.

His name is Harry Patch. He served as a private in the 7th Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry. At 110 years, he is the oldest surviving veteran of the trench warfare of the Western Front. He had come to pay his final respects to the fallen – once the enemy.

I was told that for 80 years Patch never talked about the war. He coped, like many soldiers, by putting a lock on it. But when he turned 100, he started talking. His autobiography, “The Last Fighting Tommy,” was released last year, co-written with Richard Van Emden.

That night, back in Ieper, we were all at the Last Post.

A light autumn wind blew, as at least 200 people gathered under the domes. After the buglers and exhortation, the crowd was silent as Harry Patch said a few words and was wheeled over to lay a small bouquet of red flowers on the steps of the memorial.

Later, I went over to the flowers Harry had put on the steps. On top was a handwritten note: “Remembering both sides of the line.”

It is a sentiment appropriate for this or any Armistice Day.