Rememberance Sunday

[robmawer]

What is are those immortal words " Lest we forget " ...

This, however, is the problem with Rememberance Sunday - it is only *one* day when people remember. Two months down the line, they've forgotten and are more than willing to go to war.

Much like how at Christmas you have to be extra nice and jolly to people, Valentine's Day is when you're supposed to be romantic...why not live every day like it's Christmas/Valentines/Rememberance Sunday/etc. all rolled into one?

As a side note...did anyone hear about the 79 year old chap who was selling poppies in a supermarket in Aylesbury who was attacked by someone wielding a hammer? Could it be any more wrong... :(

Rob.

[usico]

I am 34 and always buy a poppy every year. I am not allowed to wear it in work as it is classified as a sectarian and offensive symbol my the moronic authorities in Northern Ireland, who are happy to insult the memmory of the service man and women who have given their lives for our freedom, rather than risk offending IRA terrorist scum supporters.

William,

that makes me angry and sad in equal measure. Can't say too much more - it would not be in the sprit of this thread - but I will say that it's a big wide world out there and some people need to see that.

With all this talk of cemeteries and in particular the hushed silence of schoolchildren, I went to a concentration camp in the Alcasce (history buffs will be aware of the conflict over this region) and it was the mosty humbling and shocking experinece of my life. The place was silent. It was in the middle of a forest and there was no birdsong. I literally did not speak for over 2 hours after leaving. A truly horrible experience that anyone who has not been involved in a war needs to do at least once.

[KentStu]

I do buy the poppy and remember - can always remember my grandfathers look of pain on the day (he was injured when driving an armoured car in the war and all the others in the car were killed - it never left him).

As an aside, there is some proof re: youngsters nowadays stepping up to the plate, Read this article on an 18 year old trooper given the George Cross for his actions in Iraq - it would have been a VC but as it was "friendly fire" from a US gunship (the VC is for valour in the face of the enemy)

[William]

William' date='

that makes me angry and sad in equal measure. Can't say too much more - it would not be in the sprit of this thread - but I will say that it's a big wide world out there and some people need to see that.

With all this talk of cemeteries and in particular the hushed silence of schoolchildren, I went to a concentration camp in the Alcasce (history buffs will be aware of the conflict over this region) and it was the mosty humbling and shocking experinece of my life. The place was silent. It was in the middle of a forest and there was no birdsong. I literally did not speak for over 2 hours after leaving. A truly horrible experience that anyone who has not been involved in a war needs to do at least once.[/quote']

It makes me sad and very angry too. I have also had a similar experience to you. Back in 1994 I was in Prague for a conference, when I had the oportunity to visit a Nazi concentration camp near the city. I remember the name, but the spelling escapes me. This camp was a holding camp rather than a death camp, but even there due to the crowding, poor food etc, mortality was high. Outside the camp is the grave yard, hundreds of Star of David head stone, dominated in the centre by a cross. Most of the others on the trip were Israeli, and several got very angry that a Christian symbol had be placed over what was a jewish grave yard, especially as the Germans were suposedly christain.

I found the whole place to be very moving and to still have a sinister atmosphere to it. The most amazing thing is people now live in the houses of the ghetto which housed the Jewish prisoners who were forced to help run the concentration camp.

[philc]

Those places are very strange. It's almost as though the land keeps a memory of the horrible things that happened there.

I've felt a similar atmosphere while walking in the Peak District, near some of the ruined mills that employed hundreds of children -only that felt sad, rather than shocked.

Phil

[domhnall]

I do wear mine every year and having many years involvement with the military would point out that it's not just about remembering those who died in WW1 and 2, people have gib=ven their lives for their country in every single year since 1945, whether it's been in Norther Ireland, Bosnia, the Flaklands, Iraq or even in training. They all deserve our remembrance too. Whether or not you agree with the wars they've been fighting, they were simply doing their job and were prepared to lay down their lives for the rest of us.

[MTK]

I think that it's incredibly important to remember them. Personally I think that the defeat of fascism is one of this country's greatest achievements, if not the greatest. Plus there are the victims of other conflicts, which whatever your view on their rights & wrongs it generally wasn't those who took the bullets that decided on whether or not the country should be involved in them.

I went to Normandy on holiday this year, it was the first time that we'd been on holiday as a family, my wife, me and our 15 month old little boy. As I sat in the car park by what had been Omaha beach, my little boy asleep in his car seat in the back and my wife in the passenger seat I had tears in my eyes thinking about all the people who had fought and died there. And it was just the Americans at that beach ! What I found odd while driving around the D-Day beaches was that there was a massive memorial to the American forces on Omaha beach but no big single memorial to the British forces. It was like each regiment had to do their own, leading to quite a few small ones but no single focal point like the Americans had. Still, you could say that's a British thing. We also spent a few hours at the war cemetry in Bayeux - incredibly moving, as was an afternoon when I went to France for the day with my grandmother the week we'd starting the bombing campign against Milosevic's forces in the old Yugoslavia. We happened upon a WWII cemetry that day and it just seemed an insult to those buried there that it was happening again.

Over the last few years I've become more determined to make a point of attending Remembrance Day events, could just be that I'm getting older (34) or just a reaction to some of the things I see around me and although I've just moved to a new area I'll try and find out what's happening near me and go along.

[patkin]

Lets not forget the recent tragic losses of brave people not only in the armed forces but those of our civilian forces including the merchant navy whose losses were appalling in support of the nations wellbeing.

[ncarring]

in our youth...

Having bought my poppy this morning I was walking along the High Street and passed another poppy seller. She was in the process of selling a poppy to - a boy, roughly 13 years old, on his own, no parental pressure, doing his bit for Remembrance. So, you see, there is much to be proud of.....

Now, back to the Festival of Remembrance.

[SimonT]

While we're on the subject. Did anyone else see the programme about the Victoria Cross last night?

Yes, the last (?) minutes. I thiught that JC was (and I'm not normnally a big fan) excellent. Do you agree?

[ncarring]

Yes, the last (?) minutes. I thiught that JC was (and I'm not normnally a big fan) excellent. Do you agree?

JC, whether you love him or not, has a great quality - he is passionately British. You gotta love that, if you're a Brit too.