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Long been a bit iffy about Nov 11th and Remembrance Day. Not the reason but more what it should mean to those attending services, and also younger generations. Once saw a photograph of the inscription on the memorial wall at a US war cemetery which I thought says so much more than is usually spoken of on such occasions. It simply read "Freedom isn't Free".

Down here in Australia, those with no contact with the armed forces seem to have absolutely no understanding of the impact on their lives of any potential loss of freedom that may have occurred if those who stood in harms way had chosen not to.

In my opinion Remembrance Day should not be entirely about remembering the fallen, but WHY they did what they did. Why they were prepared to pay the ultimate price, and making sure that what they died for is still considered worthwhile.


Alison

Agreed...

+1
We rightly remember the Fallen, but as Patton said “No dumb bastard ever won a war by going out and dying for his country. He won it by making some other dumb bastard die for his country."
Especially since wars are frequently being fought away from the Homeland these days, one should question whether the objectives (should it ever occur that the politicians clearly state them) are worth killing for.

11 Nov these parts is Veterans Day. We have our Remembrance/Memorial Day in May. But Alison's sentiments are still appropriate even on Veterans Day: how many take for granted that which was upheld for them? And have no clue what that entails? Far too many I fear.



And now, a shameless plug.

rgbrock1 wrote:how many take for granted that which was upheld for them? And have no clue what that entails? Far too many I fear.

Too true. Especially these days.

Having spoken to many FEPOW'S whilst based at RAF(Hosp) Ely when I was a Nursing Officer and many members of the FEPOW association were having MOT'S I appreciate the sacrifices they made and how much they suffered. Everyone who has fought for everyone's freedom should be remembered and why it was necessary. Today's youth need to be educated as to the true meaning of Remembrance. Alison has made a very valid point.

Mrs Ex-Ascot wrote:Having spoken to many FEPOW'S whilst based at RAF(Hosp) Ely when I was a Nursing Officer and many members of the FEPOW association were having MOT'S I appreciate the sacrifices they made and how much they suffered. Everyone who has fought for everyone's freedom should be remembered and why it was necessary. Today's youth need to be educated as to the true meaning of Remembrance. Alison has made a very valid point.

It's lost on too many of today's youth. The sun shines out their asses, which also happento be the center of the universe, so I"m sure it's a lost cause.

I like Remembrance Day much more than Veterans' Day as a name for this holiday. Veterans, like me, came home and resumed their lives. It's those who didn't come home, and along with them, those who came home with damage, that this day should be about. While we survivors gave some, they gave a lot more, and in too many cases up to all and even more than all. God bless them.

Well said BenThere.

Remembering on Armistice Day all those who served in the small and great wars. Fallen leaves on my family tree: brothers Thomas and Richard kia France & Mesopotamia respectively in 1915. No known graves. Their surviving brother was awarded the MC. In 1942: Richard, captured in Hong Kong and died in the sinking of the Lisbon Maru after it was torpedoed by USS Grouper and Olaf, Sgt Pilot killed in Rhodesia. 'They were lovely in their lives.'

BenThere wrote:I like Remembrance Day much more than Veterans' Day as a name for this holiday. Veterans, like me, came home and resumed their lives. It's those who didn't come home, and along with them, those who came home with damage, that this day should be about. While we survivors gave some, they gave a lot more, and in too many cases up to all and even more than all. God bless them.

Those who paid the ultimate price for our freedom are remembered on Memorial Day, BenThere. (Which has a helluva lot more meaning to me than outside BBQs and the "start of summer) Those who came home relatively unscathed, like you and I, have this day for us. As do those who came home scarred: whether mentally or physically.

Just a reminder. Today is November the 11th - Remembrance Day for many.

At my high school in the UK they would read out the names of those students who had paid the ultimate price in the war recently finished. For many of the teachers they were still fresh in their memories, circa 1955. Can't think of a single year when it hasn't been uppermost in my mind. Annual Remembrance Day parades were very much a part of my life for many years.

Alison

In my Schooldays, both Primary and Secondary, all classes came to a halt at 11am and everyone stood in silence for the one minute.

No idea if they still do that. For the local Primary School, today was a 'Student free day.'

We Will Remember Them.

I am not sure whether I should be proud or ashamed of this, but hopefully the former.

A few years ago I went to a business meeting and was wearing a Remembrance Day poppy. One little ***** asked me what it was for, and I didn't initially realise, until I saw the look on his face as I explained, that it was a loaded antagonistic question rather than a genuine one.

It became confrontational to the point that I grabbed him by his collar and tie, and kicked him, literally, out of the meeting room and into the corridor, where he fell and hit his head on the wall on his way down. As he was bigger, younger, and fitter than I am, I did not feel guilty at all.

I am not often induced to physical violence.

One little *sh*t* asked me what it was for, and I didn't initially realise, until I saw the look on his face as I explained, that it was a loaded antagonistic question rather than a genuine one.

Capetonian; I'm most curious as to just what was his problem with your wearing the poppy. Are you able to elaborate?

FWIW; I think that going on what you said, that you showed remarkable restraint! And certainly should not have any regrets.

His 'problem' was that by wearing the poppy, I was 'glorifying, glamourising and promoting war' in an age when we should be forgiving. He'd clearly been brainwashed by some lefty business school as I'd had brushes with him before over his continued use of 'buzzwords' and once I'd asked him to explain something using his own words rather than phrases cut and pasted from the MBA manuals. I might as well have cut his tongue out!

Ah so desu. Well done Sir.

I trust that he saw the error of his ways then. Plus a few stars!!

Got a big surprise today. I was driving down to Brighton on the A23 and as 1100 neared I parked up in a lay-by behind a couple of small trucks. At the end of the 2 minutes silence I re-started the car ready to move back out into the traffic when the 2 trucks also started up and moved out. Respect isn't entirely dead.

Sisemen, I went down in to town today (Blandford), the coppers had put police cars across the access roads to stop through traffic, the Corn Exchange in the town centre had a small military presence, and was full of town people for the 2 minute silence.
I was in Boots queuing up at the check out, everything stopped at 1100, people were silent for 2 minutes and then life resumed, the whole town stopped.

Our doctors' surgery observed the silence. Even the squealing baby kept quiet. I was there for a pneumonia jab but the nurse was running late leaving me with one sleeve rolled up at 11am. Friends reported supermarkets were also quiet.