Remembrance

[Phil Deakins]

At the 11th hour, on the 11th day of the 11th month, we in Britain remember those who did not return. That was the date and time when the WWI armistice was signed, bringing the war to a close. The same time and date of remembrance later came to encompass those who did not return from WWII and all wars that we were involved in since then.

When I was young, the whole country came to a stop for 2 minutes of silent remembrance at that time every year. All the traffic and pedestrians stopped in the streets. Everything stopped for 2 minutes. That tradition is long gone and I've long thought that it's disappearance is a shame.

For a very long time now, people in Britain buy and wear a plastic poppy at this time, as a form of remembrance. The money goes to the Royal British Legion, a charity that helps to support the armed forces, past and present, and their families. The reason it's the poppy is because poppies grew in the fields in Flanders, across which were WWI trenches. The symbolism is from WWI but the remembrance is for those who didn't return from all wars in which the British fought.

[Susie Ashdene]

[Phil Deakins]

Well, well, well. I was just watching the news while sitting in my dentist's waiting room, and it seems that the 2 minute silence at 11 was done this year, and that many city centres came to a standstill. I like that. It's not the same as it was when the whole country stopped but it's a big improvement on how it's been for a very long time. I wonder if it will grow again.

[TheG0t]

You know I seem to remember every one took a lost in those wars...not just the UK...

So lets all bow our heads for those who gave their life for others IN ALL COUNTRIES ....

[Phil Deakins]

Totally agree - except for war criminals.

[Jinnywitha Cleanslate]

I always stop for the Silence.  I was upset last year, when working in a rl Government job in the UK, we were neither allowed to observe the silence, nor wear Poppys.  I did.  I was told off.  But I stood proud with my Poppy, even if I used the excuse of getting a drink, in order to take my silence, to remember the ones that lost their lives, not only on the battlefields, but as innocents on all sides, in bombing raids, and other War related atrocities. 

In the SL Club I have managed, every year for the last 6 years, I have sent out a message to my Group, with a Poppy attached.  I'm not sure if all countries use the Poppy as a symbol, but I attach it anyway.  This year my message read:

"Today, the world unites in mutual respect and honour of our fallen ones, who had their lives stolen too soon by the pity of War. I ask you to take a moment to let your minds wander into silence.  The lost people, just a few short months before, may have danced in Clubs together, run through the Cities, and sang in our Churches.  They were people like us, who loved sharing, talking, and even weeping together.  There were animals lost too, who had lives on farms, and as valued pets, and were turned to service by man, or died by the cruel twist of War.  They too, must be honoured and remembered for the part they played in our histories.  Wherever you are - I ask you to take a moment to remember them, and acknowledge the past, so that we can all do our best to prevent this from happening again.  I ask you to take a moment to remember them, so their lost lives are not lost in vain, amongst the transient sands of time.  Thank you."

I had a lot of praise from people about that message, assuring me that they would observe the silence today, and asking if I would be doing anything within the club for it.

Then, last night, some people were in my club, and because I wore my Poppy, we ended up talking about War, and soldiers, and Veterans Day (we call it Armistice Day in the UK).  So I put out a memorial out and laid a Poppy wreath, and placed down some candles in our own tribute.  Today, they and others returned, and we sat around it, talking tales of relatives that were lost in the batles, and of stories we'd heard, and of memorials we'd seen.  It was really special, and for the first time, in a long time in SL, I felt I had done something to truly honoured the victims of war, and given people a chance and a place, to pause and reflect. 

At 11am this morning, I, alone in my front room, stood up, bowed my head, and took my silence, and vowed to always remember them.

[Madelaine McMasters]

We had our first snow of the season today. Nature did her part to bring silence. I found an online image in which nature has laid a fresh, clean blanket over those soldiers forever resting in the fields...

[Phil Deakins]

That was beautiful, Jinny, and it choked me up. Well done you, and long may it continue.

[PeterCanessa Oh]

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Jinnywitha Cleanslate wrote:

...we were neither allowed to observe the silence, nor wear Poppys

.

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That's really appalling; it doesn't take much imagination to guess the political leanings of that department!

The ridiculous thing about such a ban is that our remembrance day is about everyone who has died through warfare, civilian and military, of all nations.  Unlike, say, the US veterans day* ours is explicitly NOT a celebration of "our" "forces" but an opportunity to remember that in war everyone pays a terrible price.

[*Stay calm - just saying the US day is different, not saying it's bad.]

 

[Madelaine McMasters]

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PeterCanessa Oh wrote:

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Jinnywitha Cleanslate wrote:

...we were neither allowed to observe the silence, nor wear Poppys

.

---

That's really appalling; it doesn't take much imagination to guess the political leanings of that department!

The ridiculous thing about such a ban is that our remembrance day is about everyone who has died through warfare, civilian and military, of all nations.  Unlike, say, the US veterans day* ours is explicitly NOT a celebration of "our" "forces" but an opportunity to remember that in war everyone pays a terrible price.

[*Stay calm - just saying the US day is different, not saying it's bad.]

 

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My Dad was in WWII, and more or less refused to celebrate Memorial and Veteran's Day as US specific. He never talked about his combat experiences, but I know he thought the Japanese soldiers in the gunsights of his Corsair were "average Joes" like him.

The image of a snow covered cemetary I posted here was cribbed from the web, where the original had a lone US flag next to one of the little mounds. I removed it.

[Storm Clarence]

The Chinese government does not want the Japanese to remember or pay homage to their dead.

"It does not matter in what form or using what identity Japanese political leaders visit the Yasukuni Shrine, it is an intrinsic attempt to deny and beautify that history of invasion by the Japanese militarists," China's Foreign Ministry.

 

 

[PeterCanessa Oh]

Exactly Maddy.

The Sun (Murdoch gutter press) newspaper got itself unofficially banned from several of our military establishments during the Falklands conflict (1982) because, for instance, of a front-page picture of one of our troops ships (and 48 people) burning after being bombed by the Argentinians.  It was the headline "Bastards" which was the problem, not the picture*.  "Our enemy are not bastards.  If they are not worthy of respect then neither are we" as my Sergeant-Major put it.

[*This was only the final straw where I was based.  Earlier photos/headlines such as "Gotcha" attached to the killing of 323 people in the sinking of the Belgrano were considered to be in extremely poor taste as well.  There's a lot more I'd like to say about The Sun during the conflict but it would be libellous** :-( ]

[**In UK law being true isn't usually a defence against libel]