Today was our rememberance day akin to the USA Memorial day

 

it is always a somber and emotional day for me

 

I remember the fallen both past and most recent, I give thanks to those who gave the ultimate sacrifice

 

i thank them for what I have today and am proud of each of them

 

I miss some friends who are no longer with us and pray for the battle scars some carry both physical and mental

 

today I honour all soldiers around the world and their families, past and present xx

 

THANK YOU  :wub: :soldier_girl:

 

 

 

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBPSr4TsQkI

The red remembrance poppy has become a familiar emblem of Remembrance Day due to the poem In Flanders Fields.
These poppies bloomed across some of the worst battlefields of Flanders in World War I,
their brilliant red colour became a symbol for the blood spilled in the war.

 

In Flanders Fields by John McCrae

 

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
      Between the crosses, row on row,
   That mark our place; and in the sky
   The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
   Loved and were loved, and now we lie
         In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
   The torch; be yours to hold it high.
   If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
         In Flanders fields.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I found the art installation at The Tower of London particularly moving

each poppy representing a life lost.

 

For the Fallen

 

 

With proud thanksgiving, a mother for her children,

England mourns for her dead across the sea.
Flesh of her flesh they were, spirit of her spirit,
Fallen in the cause of the free.

Solemn the drums thrill: Death august and royal
Sings sorrow up into immortal spheres.
There is music in the midst of desolation
And a glory that shines upon our tears.

They went with songs to the battle, they were young,
Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted,
They fell with their faces to the foe.

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.

They mingle not with their laughing comrades again;
They sit no more at familiar tables of home;
They have no lot in our labour of the day-time;
They sleep beyond England's foam.

But where our desires are and our hopes profound,
Felt as a well-spring that is hidden from sight,
To the innermost heart of their own land they are known
As the stars are known to the Night;

As the stars that shall be bright when we are dust,
Moving in marches upon the heavenly plain,
As the stars that are starry in the time of our darkness,
To the end, to the end, they remain.

Robert Laurence Binyon 1914

The red remembrance poppy has become a familiar emblem of Remembrance Day due to the poem In Flanders Fields.

These poppies bloomed across some of the worst battlefields of Flanders in World War I,

their brilliant red colour became a symbol for the blood spilled in the war.

 

In Flanders Fields by John McCrae

 

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

      Between the crosses, row on row,

   That mark our place; and in the sky

   The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

   Loved and were loved, and now we lie

         In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

   The torch; be yours to hold it high.

   If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

         In Flanders fields.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I found the art installation at The Tower of London particularly moving

each poppy representing a life lost.

 

I was lucky enough to go visit this last week.

 

Stunning.

 

To 'hear' such silence in the heart of the city was quite spooky.

 

Over 4 million people have visited over the last few weeks.

No man is an island,
Entire of itself,
Every man is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.
If a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less.
As well as if a promontory were.
As well as if a manor of thy friend's
Or of thine own were:
Any man's death diminishes me,
Because I am involved in mankind,
And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; 
It tolls for thee. 

-John Donne

Veteran's Day is Tuesday here. Goes along with 11/11 at 11am end to WWI.  Sadly some Non-vets have asked and gotten the day not be a work holiday, save the holiday off day for the day after Thanksgiving to have off. Makes a four day weekend and they can be part of all the shopping. Like to have my old m-60 back and ask them to hump it one mile before they tell me "I work vets day to get day after thanksgiving off" My two bosses do it. College cops, not vets. Seems so disrespectful. We get no holiday off in my job, but extra pay if we work on the day.

 

Today in church they asked all the vets to stand. I was the youngest in my mid/or so 40's. Proud old men. More men are not vets and remain sitting than the few standing. Used to be a lot more vets, but no so much anymore. Gotten older and went home. And the young ones are in danger here, 22 kill themselves everyday, that's one every 65 minutes. Sad

My Dad, a pilot in WWII

 

 

In his Sunday school class art 3 other WWII flyboys...

Yes it's sad very sad, I can see the annoyance of non vets getting a day off grr

 

I realised today that when I was younger even before serving that I watched the remembrance parades with all the old boys, not many left now and we are now the future old boys!

I pray for this day

We got to see a lot today - the cathedral that featured on the BBC earlier is less than a mile from my house, next to the imperial war museum - this area has a very large military presence, so there was a lot going on around here today. Today was a good day to remember.

Lest we forget. Lit candles for my grandads and all others, past and present.

I dont care if non-vets get day off, but they want to work it and take different day off that's not a holiday. Like I rather have that other day off cause this day means nothing to me.

Everyone should be off and observe some memorial to give value and thanks to those who did something to preserve everyone else right to think so stupid

Agreed

Veterans day for US and the true remembrance for UK 11/11 @ 1100 hours