In Remembrance

[dpmcalister]

Considering I served with the Royal Air Force for 13 years I was lucky. In all that time, despite the number of conflicts or peace-keeping operations we were involved in, I never had to mourn a friend. Unfortunately, that changed this year when Sergeant Duane "Baz" Barwood was killed during a rocket attack in Basra, Iraq on 29 February 2008. I knew Baz during my time at RAF Innsworth in Gloucestershire when he worked with my wife, Jude. So, today, on Remembrance Day, I remember him. You were a good man Baz and you are missed by all who knew you.

[Wolverine]

My local ISP currently has a poll up on their site asking if people still think Armistice Day is still important. The results are pretty reassuring....

Very important - so many people gave their lives: 58%
Still important, but it's getting less so as the years go by: 19%
Not very important - it's in the past now: 15%
Don't care: 9%

Let's hope people never stop caring - both for veterans of wars past, wars ongoing and wars yet to come.

[dpmcalister]

Unfortunately, I think the 9% all live near me While taking my son to school this morning I saw only 1 other person wearing a poppy

[Mister Andersen]

When my sister was in the UK a couple of years ago, she managed to score a couple of those lovely high-end leather poppies.

[Wolverine]

Unfortunately, I think the 9% all live near me While taking my son to school this morning I saw only 1 other person wearing a poppy

Wow, that's pretty bad. Then again, I may be a little spoiled living in NZ. Our version of Rememberance Day (ANZAC Day) is a public holiday and gets a LOT of promotion and airtime, so I guess it's just more visible on the public radar. Numbers are rising at the dawn services each year, too. I think we had 20,000 people at the Central Auckland ceremony earlier this year.

That said, we still had some young miscreants using the Tomb of the Unkown Soldier in Wellington as their own personal skate park, and some uncaring b'stards broke into our National War Museum and stole a number of medals (including a Victoria Cross)! The medals have been returned, and the crooks are awaiting trail, but the fact that this happened in the first place is just appaling.

[MugMug]

I live in a military town -- the kind of place that fights to get more military presence -- so I suspect my view of public support for Veteran's Day is somewhat skewed.

On a lighter note, "high-end leather poppies" sounds kinda... dirty sexy interesting.

Walter

[TheTSKoala]

Unfortunately, I think the 9% all live near me While taking my son to school this morning I saw only 1 other person wearing a poppy

Wow, that's pretty bad. Then again, I may be a little spoiled living in NZ. Our version of Rememberance Day (ANZAC Day) is a public holiday and gets a LOT of promotion and airtime, so I guess it's just more visible on the public radar. Numbers are rising at the dawn services each year, too. I think we had 20,000 people at the Central Auckland ceremony earlier this year.

That said, we still had some young miscreants using the Tomb of the Unkown Soldier in Wellington as their own personal skate park, and some uncaring b'stards broke into our National War Museum and stole a number of medals (including a Victoria Cross)! The medals have been returned, and the crooks are awaiting trail, but the fact that this happened in the first place is just appaling.

You know.. back across the pond in the good ol' US, our military respect is in the dumps as well.  90% of my job, I perform on a Military Installation.  (Depending on the project, depends on who's office I'm hijacking.  Currently a resident of the USMC for the moment...)  Every morning, 0800... anthem plays, flag goes up, etc.  Now, this current base is heavy Civilian pop.  And you can tell the mils in civvies from the civvies as soon as anthem plays.  The mils will stop and turn to the flag.   If they're in uniform, they salute.  The civvies, keep on going like whatev'.  That I can deal with.. but today.. I show up to work and someone is trying to argue that this shouldn't be a holiday because we're essentially justifying the rich committing murder on the poor... the worst part was.. a good part of the workspace agreed.  (All civvies.)

Swear to God, I almost decked the opinionated chap..  After regaining my composure, I kindly pointed out.. politics are politics, dead soldiers are dead soldiers, and if he ever tried to mix the two again, I'd restrict his ability to breathe.  Now, I'm pretty sure I'll get a verbal complaint that I'm being hard on the contractors, or such redirect, but.. I've known people KIA, MIA and people who came back physically fine but mentally gone.  So.. for all them.. in anyone's country.. I salute, I raise a glass to, and I give a moment of silence to.

[Krensky]

From what I've seen, in the US Veterans Day tends to be forgotten in favor of Memorial Day. Probably has a bit to do with it not being a full holiday.

[Golden Dragon]

I've known people KIA, MIA and people who came back physically fine but mentally gone.  So.. for all them.. in anyone's country.. I salute, I raise a glass to, and I give a moment of silence to.

Let me magnify, we often remember those who died, but let's also remember those who daily have to live with their sacrifices through persistent injuries, physical and mental. Sometimes I feel that they get forgotten. Thanks to the Koala for the reminder.

[dpmcalister]

From what I've seen, in the US Veterans Day tends to be forgotten in favor of Memorial Day. Probably has a bit to do with it not being a full holiday.

Please understand that I'm not having a go at you I can't understand why things have to be made into holidays for people to take notice of them. I can, just about, understand people who make a conscious decision not to take part in Remembrance Day (by, at the very least, wearing a poppy and/or respecting the 2 minutes silence), but I cannot abide the ignorance of those who can't be bothered or actively disrupt things.

[Krensky]

From what I've seen, in the US Veterans Day tends to be forgotten in favor of Memorial Day. Probably has a bit to do with it not being a full holiday.

Please understand that I'm not having a go at you I can't understand why things have to be made into holidays for people to take notice of them. I can, just about, understand people who make a conscious decision not to take part in Remembrance Day (by, at the very least, wearing a poppy and/or respecting the 2 minutes silence), but I cannot abide the ignorance of those who can't be bothered or actively disrupt things.

Part of it is that Veterans Day is the new kid on the block here in the US and is for the same thing as Memorial Day. As for why things holidays are remembered more the commemorative days, I'm not sure, but having the day off focuses the memory.

[TheTSKoala]

Unfortunately, I think the 9% all live near me While taking my son to school this morning I saw only 1 other person wearing a poppy

Well, now you can say you saw a Forum wear one.

[dpmcalister]

Already beat you to that... I've amended the UK Role Players logo in remembrance:

[MilitiaJim]

"Shall ne'er go by,
from this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remembered.
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
for he to-day that sheds his blood with me
shall be my brother."

Willam Shakespeare
King Henry V, Act 4, Scene III

The fallen are not forgotten.  My battalion coin for Iraq lists the number of our fallen, and their names will be on the wall long after we are all gone.  I would hae it no other way.