As we celebrate Veterans Day this year, we remember all the servicemembers who have served this country.

Thank you for reminding us, Scotty.

I should add that it is Remembrance Day here in Canada on November 11th.

At the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month...

We shall have two minutes' silence.

And someone will say:

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

Almost everyone this year is wearing a poppy.The BBC, far from having its newsroom staff on its world service not wear a poppy (as it did controversially last year),and leaving the matter to individuals on other services, now ensures that a poppy is issued and pinned on the clothing of everyone who appears on screen, regardless of who they are, what the programme is or why they are on screen. (This mystified one or two visiting American artists on chat shows,unaware of the practice or reason, who found wardrobe sticking this red paper flower on their lapel as they went on )

It seems that current conflicts and associated losses have reminded the British people of the sacrifices made and being made in their name.This has prompted the wearing of the poppies and the better observance.

In recent years the two minutes' silence has been far more strictly observed than for quite a while. (In the 1950s, policemen still stopped the traffic and nobody moved).Last year in Cambridge the traffic stopped of its own, as drivers heard the signal,which was quite a surprise.The shops asked their customers to observe the silence and all stood quietly.The same will happen this year, though less obviously, it being a Sunday

Cenotaph ban on wounded war heroes

Anti-war vets slam parade ban

It seems that some of those in charge of parades would like more of the romantically martial Flanders Fields spirit, and less of the bitterly immediate and graphic Dulce et Decorum Est.

Is it too much to ask if we just honor the people in our respective Countries, that did their duty and served? My God! We have enough political BS to go around every other day in the year, these people deserve a day without political arguments. Why can't these people let one day go by without their BS?



We few, we happy few, we band of brothers; For he today that sheds his blood with me shall be my brother.

I am very proud to be a part of this group.
Give us one day without the political crap.

What on earth is 'political' about a wounded veteran wanting to join a remembrance parade?

The problem is (and it's not a new one; it has been debated since the end of World War I and the institution of such days) that simply and solemnly paying respect to fallen soldiers can become the legitimising and glorification of war, particularly when the ceremonies are headed by politicians and general staff. (And particularly now, when those politicians and generals are struggling to justify the botched and unnecessary invasion of another country.)

Of course those warmongers don't want the awkward truth of wounded or angry veterans of the current war (who surely have much more right to be there to pay respect) spoiling their nice parades. That's political.

For Veterans' Day and Remembrance Day to be free of 'political crap', then, for a start, politicians should keep their distance. However, they are usually front and centre.

'The idea of decoupling Armistice Day , the red poppy and later Remembrance Day from their military culture dates back to 1926, just a few years after the British Legion was persuaded to try using the red poppy as a fundraising tool in Britain.

A member of the No More War Movement suggested that the British Legion should be asked to imprint 'No More War' in the centre of the red poppies instead of ‘Haig Fund’...' www.ppu.org.uk

The piece about the Cenotaph makes it seem that the evil government has refused to allow the embarrassment of a soldier recently wounded being on parade.Nice try but wrong, methinks. The words 'current guidelines' carry the innuendo that they are new and flexible to the whims of the government.

Perhaps someone can find a definitive answer,and I stand to be corrected, but I can't remember any serving soldier, wounded or not, ever parading, marching past, at the Cenotaph. There's a static guard of honour and a band at the Cenotaph itself but that's the sum total of serving soldiers there. It's not for serving soldiers to parade in, just for those who are ex-servicemen.The 'civilians' who paraded last year were civilians who had once been in services attached to the military in wartime, services which had suffered casualties.

Incidentally the poppy,sold for the Earl Haig Fund (as was) was itself created to help disabled ex-servicemen who could not find employment after the Great War. The poppies were made by the disabled men. Even today 80 per cent of the poppies are made by disabled ex-servicemen, the remainder being made by dependents of such ex-servicemen.

As a footnote to my earlier post about modern observance: Today we've had a surfeit of silences ! Last night we had two minutes silence at the Royal Albert Hall ceremony of remembrance. Today we had two minutes at 11am : I was at a dog show and there the staff went out and stopped people outside the hall from moving and hushed them all (on the assumption that these people might not have known it was the time yet and would wish to observe). Then at 2pm we had one minutes' silence before the start of the Chelsea v Everton soccer match: a full stadium and you could have heard a pin drop.

Most all the paper poppies are made by Veterans here too Fred. Not so much the “down on their luck” variety, but by the local VFW Halls as a way of raising funds for the Hall. They don’t make a lot of money from them, (they do ok) but it gives many of them a chance to get together and talk as they make them.

Lucky is the Veteran who approaches me at a sporting event offering a poppy. (They don’t ask for a donation, but it is expected if you accept it) I don’t think I ever paid less than $10 for one of those poppies.

quote:

As a footnote to my earlier post about modern observance: Today we've had a surfeit of silences ! Last night we had two minutes silence at the Royal Albert Hall ceremony of remembrance. Today we had two minutes at 11am : I was at a dog show and there the staff went out and stopped people outside the hall from moving and hushed them all (on the assumption that these people might not have known it was the time yet and would wish to observe). Then at 2pm we had one minutes' silence before the start of the Chelsea v Everton soccer match: a full stadium and you could have heard a pin drop.

That is good to hear Fred, it makes my heart warm when people take a moment to remember, and say “thanks” regardless of their political views.

Take two minutes, would you mind?
It's a pittance of time,

'When it passed a concurrent resolution on June 4, 1926, to honor the end of World War I, the US Congress stated: Whereas it is fitting that the recurring anniversary of this date should be commemorated with thanksgiving and prayer and exercises designed to perpetuate peace through good will and mutual understanding between nations. In 1938, the US Congress codified its earlier resolution by legislation naming November 11 as Armistice Day and dedicating the day "to the cause of world peace." In 1954, after World War II and the Korean Conflict, Congress - at the urging of the veterans service organizations - amended the Act of 1938 by striking out the word "Armistice" and inserting the word "Veterans." With the approval of this legislation on June 1, 1954, November 11 became a day to honor American veterans of all wars and a national holiday still dedicated to "the cause of world peace."' truthout.org

I guess "world peace" is inescapably a political idea.

The soldiers and veterans (living and deceased) derserve our support an respect, absolutely, on this (that) day and every other day. Blessed be.