11/11 and Remembrance Sunday

[gweilgi]

It is that time of the year again to wear a poppy, to thank a vet, to pay respects at a memorial ....

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

Pour yourself something good, fire up a decent cigar and spend a moment remembering those who heeded the call and gave their all so that we might have a future.

 

 

[Ken Gargett]

fully agree with this.

recently read my grandfather's diary from WWI. fascinating stuff though most of it was the people he met in the trenches and the time spent at various hospitals, over nearly four years. originally rejected for poor eyes, he was only able to enlist because he went home and learnt the eye chart off by heart. another brother managed to sneak in under age. he won a military cross and bar but the only mention is of the first one and pretty much all he says is that he got a note he'd got the gong. hardly a detail at all. he had three brothers who also fought. he and one quite seriously injured, one killed and another, who landed at gallipolli on day 2 of the campaign, got through unscathed.

on the other side of the family, i was named after my father's favourite uncle who was killed on the kokoda trail. his brother was killed over the bering sea - a tail gunner in a lancaster. been to both graves.

what would the world be like without these guys and so many hundreds of thousands of others who gave so much.

[Ken Gargett]

[PigFish]

... my father-in-law, was a D-Day Normandy Beach survivor. This guy had hand to hand combat with German soldiers in bunkers...! Way different from the 'snowflakes' we sire today!

Died July 4, 2002... RIP Dan!

-Ray

[Ken Gargett]

Just now, PigFish said:

... my father-in-law, was a D-Day Normandy Beach survivor. This guy had hand to hand combat with German soldiers in bunkers...! Way different from the 'snowflakes' we sire today!

Died July 4, 2002... RIP Dan!

-Ray

RIP, indeed, Ray.

and i will happily confess that i would be one of these snowflakes. i know that one of the MCs was for my grandfather doing exactly that. apparently jumped into a machine gun bunker solo because it had pinned down his mates, and killed them all. i wasn't adopted but i can't imagine doing that. still, i guess who knows till it happens. fortunately, i don't believe i'll ever find out.

RIP, all such brave men.

[Ken Gargett]

8 hours ago, Ken Gargett said:

fully agree with this.

recently read my grandfather's diary from WWI. fascinating stuff though most of it was the people he met in the trenches and the time spent at various hospitals, over nearly four years. originally rejected for poor eyes, he was only able to enlist because he went home and learnt the eye chart off by heart. another brother managed to sneak in under age. he won a military cross and bar but the only mention is of the first one and pretty much all he says is that he got a note he'd got the gong. hardly a detail at all. he had three brothers who also fought. he and one quite seriously injured, one killed and another, who landed at gallipolli on day 2 of the campaign, got through unscathed.

on the other side of the family, i was named after my father's favourite uncle who was killed on the kokoda trail. his brother was killed over the bering sea - a tail gunner in a lancaster. been to both graves.

what would the world be like without these guys and so many hundreds of thousands of others who gave so much.

that should, of course, read the Baltic Sea. bit of a difference.

[Chompers79]

Absolutely. My great uncle was a submariner on the HMS Upholder, which was sunk off the coast of Tripoli

At his age, my biggest concern was scraping together beer money.

RIP George Smith

[SignalJoe]

I have seen many poems thanking veterans over the years but this one has always been my favorite.    

It is the Soldier, not the minister
Who has given us freedom of religion.

It is the Soldier, not the reporter
Who has given us freedom of the press.

It is the Soldier, not the poet
Who has given us freedom of speech.

It is the Soldier, not the campus organizer
Who has given us freedom to protest.

It is the Soldier, not the lawyer
Who has given us the right to a fair trial.

It is the Soldier, not the politician
Who has given us the right to vote.

It is the Soldier who salutes the flag,
Who serves beneath the flag,
And whose coffin is draped by the flag,
Who allows the protester to burn the flag.

Charles M. Province

[helix]

The Greatest Generation . Thank you.

[zeedubbya]

My Grand Father was a WW2 Veteran.  He was in Pattons 3rd Army and fought in the Battle of the Bulge.  He won a Bronze Star for laying communication lines under heavy fire and a Purple Heart for what he always called "just a little illness."  I am certain it was much more.  As someone above said, he only spoke of the nice people in France and in the Hospitals--never of the atrocities of war.  

He and my Grandmother eptitomized The Greatest Generation.  They lived meagerly on a farm making $6 a week during The Depression, he worked in the Redwood Forest in the CCC, and they opened a small grocery store with some of the money he received from serving. They saved, they took pictures of their Social Security checks, and loved their country.  

When my Grandmother passed away 3 years ago we found so many amazing things.  One of the most amazing was a ledger from a "credit account" from the store.  It showed around 50 people who owed them money and had never paid their "bill".  I'm sure my Grandfather and Grandmother never attempted to collect those debts.   They were loved by the community and well over 500 people showed up for both of their funerals.