No snipey comments. No anti-Bushisms. It’s the 11th of November when we remember all our war dead, regardless of when that war was, or why it was fought. We’re in a war now, for better or worse, and the dead keep mounting. But these men and women still do their duty and my hat is off to every single last one of them. I seriously doubt I’d ever be able to do what they do, and what others have done.
One of my grandads was a commando. He took part in the Normandy landings, but I never really spoke to him about it. I don’t know why not – whether it was something he didn’t want to discuss or maybe he never thought I was interested. I know he wasn’t ashamed, but on the other hand he didn’t boast.
I saw Saving Private Ryan when it came out, and I cried when I got home. Not a little whimper, full on floods of tears. Because up until then, up until watching that opening 15 or so minutes, I hadn’t even the slightest clue what my grandfather – and thousands of other men on both sides – had gone through. How cheap life seemed for those hours and days, how quickly it was ended but how valuable they all ended up being over time.
That’s why we all should take some time today and remember those who’ve died fighting for our country, your country, their country. Their beliefs and those of others. No matter how much you agree or disagree with war, these people did their duty for what they believed was right – sometimes in spite of it. British, French, American, German, Japanese, Australian… I don’t care.
Every one was braver than I will ever be. I thank you. Each and every one of you. You should not and will not be forgotten.
Bloody hell Mosh, you’re going soft. But so am I.
I’ve tried to put myself in their position. We would have told ’em to get stuffed.
And our dads and uncles and grandads went out and did it.
Makes me feel like a ****.
Gav,
Way I look at it, I’d not be too impressed with the world today but I’d have grown up in a completely different society. My gran won’t let me and a partner sleep in the same room when we visit her house, for instance.
The thing is, they fought to give us the *chance* to shape the world the way we wanted. Compare this to what the world under Hitler would have been like. Everyone with blonde hair and blue eyes. Religious minorites killed worldwide rather than just in some countries (which is bad enough) as things stand today.
As for the silence… you know, I’m not sure. Now you mention it I can’t remember how long the silense has been in the past. Anyone?
I’ve always wondered if the 2 minutes silence included all the non-combatant victims as well?
I’d cry more tears for them personally.
And when did it become 2 minutes? As far back as I can recall it was 1 minute, at least it was before 9/11.
If those same brave young men and woman who ‘volunteered’ and paid the ultimate price could be here today do you think they’d be proud of what we’ve done with this world?
Bravery is fleeting, stupidity eternal i.e. 4 more years.
Sorry dude, I’m with Wilfred Owen on this one:
The old Lie: Dulce et Decorum est Pro patria mori.
My Grandfather’s brother got hit by a hand grenade in WWII. His left leg was all pitted and scared on the outside with loads of black spots. He would show me a little piece of metal and say “look, that came out of my leg last week”. They only got the big bits of shrapnel out when he got hit. In the late 90’s that hand grenade finally killed him. He developed gangreene (spelling?) and lost the leg. After that he just seemed to go downhill and got another infection that killed him.
I often think if I would have the guts to go to war. I guess if some invading force were marching up the M1 I would do to protect family, friends and property, however I have no sense of duty to protect the Queen and her family (I think most people know what I think of them). I may change my mind if they would get in a trench beside me, but I doubt they would ever lower themselves to the level of a commoner like me.
Anyway, I take my hat off to anyone who has the guts to run at a machine gun.
My Grandpa fought in the First World War and he never spoke about it. I know that he was shot during the Battle of the Somme and later on he was gassed in the trenches which affected his eyes for the rest of his life. He always used to cry during the Service of Remembrance so I guess what he went through had really affected him. He had medals which he kept in a drawer and I didn’t even see them until after he had died. He was my unsung hero and it’s thanks to him and all the others who served fighting for this country that we’re not all Germans now.
The silence on Rememberance day is always two minutes. I’m not sure why, or when this was decided, but it is something that I always have taken time out to observe. As do many others. The words Iain has said above are how many feel, and I hope our education system or our own stories from our grandparents give the children of the future the ability to understand why it is so important.
Our grandparents who lived through the war(s) are slowly slipping away, so it is up to us to keep this alive, because the personal accounts that we heard and make us think so much won’t make as big an impact from a book or film.
Then again the wars that are happening now are still taking our service men and women, so it will always be relevant as long as we have armed forces.
The remberance can be for anyone you have lost, or anyone who has suffered in war, so Chav Gav, you can remember everyone.