Remembrance Day

[Twelvefield]

Today, November 11, is Remembrance Day here in Canada. Apart from the fact that I misspelled "remembrance' in the high school spelling bee, and thus disqualified myself from lexicographical superstardom, today is the day that we Canadians set aside to pay tribute to our war dead and our peacekeepers.

My father-in-law served with the UN in the Golan Heights and the Gaza Strip, as well as Cypress. Each year, he puts on his uniform and decorations, and is honoured to march in the local parade. We have numerous ceremonies to commemorate the wars and battles of the past, the largest of which is in Ottawa, our capitol.

I was wondering what other nations do to remember the past wars and such. I realize that in some places, peace seems to be a faded hope, and that is truly saddening. In many of the places where my father-in-law served, for instance, the sons and grandsons of the UN troops are patrolling the Green Line, keeping at bay the Greek and Turk families that have been fighting each other for generations.

http://www.pdx.edu/news/7588/

Maybe by sharing and recalling to mind the sacrifices our families have made in the name of war, we can find a way to peace? Your thoughts would be welcome.

[Gizzmoe]

Moved to "General Topics".

[Damo1977]

Yes we had it earlier, first day I wasn't silent for that minute for since I can remember. I am so disgruntled, actually rather disappointed with myself because I forgot. But one question, in respect, which I did not and shall not ask my dad, why should I remember the minute silence considering in all the wars, I had half fighting on one side and the other fighting on the other (European wars).

[Konovalov]

Lest we forget.

Make sure you buy a poppy if you haven't already done so. The money goes towards caring for war widows and so forth which is so important.

[joea]

Yes we had it earlier, first day I wasn't silent for that minute for since I can remember. I am so disgruntled, actually rather disappointed with myself because I forgot. But one question, in respect, which I did not and shall not ask my dad, why should I remember the minute silence considering in all the wars, I had half fighting on one side and the other fighting on the other (European wars).

Why not remember both sides??? I think about all sides myself. :( Civvies and military.

[Konovalov]

Why not remember both sides??? I think about all sides myself. :( Civvies and military.

Exactly. :yep: Couldn't agree more. :up:

[Damo1977]

Yes we had it earlier, first day I wasn't silent for that minute for since I can remember. I am so disgruntled, actually rather disappointed with myself because I forgot. But one question, in respect, which I did not and shall not ask my dad, why should I remember the minute silence considering in all the wars, I had half fighting on one side and the other fighting on the other (European wars).

Why not remember both sides??? I think about all sides myself. :( Civvies and military.

That is the answer I was hoping for, thanks joea

Kind regards
DJ

[Col7777]

I remember a great uncle who won the VC in WW1, He lived through that awful war and even tried to join again when WW2 kicked off.
He later moved to the USA with his wife and I believe he had 3 children, I never met any of them but if by some remote chance one of them is reading this, I'm talking about Albert Hill from Denton just outside Manchester UK.

[diver]

Lest We Forget.

I was in an exam, so whilst I was silent I am dissapointed that I could not specifically convey my respects at exactly 11AM.

[Polak]

Big day in Poland too, we regained our independence 87 years ago. :yep:

http://www.imgw.pl/wl/internet/wydarzenia/niepodleglosc.html
Some pics from last years celebrations.

[Wolfram]

.

:lurk:

[Kpt. Lehmann]

I remember my Grandfathers. May they rest in peace.

Raymond, 36th Infantry Division from Texas- North Africa Landings, The Battle for Kesserine Pass, 2nd wave Salerno Sicily Landings, The Battle for San Pietro, The Battle for Monte Cassino... receiving wounds that ended the war for him near Lyons France late 1944.

Frank, 106th Transport Battallion- Enduring the buzz bombs with the English, later fighting alongside General Patton's men to relieve the 101st Airborne at Bastogne, crossing the bridge at Remagen, and on into the Rhineland. When he was called to return home in 1946, he had spent a year coordinating the influx of humanitarian aid to those that he just couldn't see as enemies anymore.

.... and thas is only the tiniest piece of the story.

All suffered on all sides.

I honor their memory.

[Oberon]

"Do not stand by my grave and weep
I am not there, I do not sleep."

May we all learn from history.

[TLAM Strike]

I remember the many members of my who served their country overseas, across the border and at home.

My Great Great Great Grandfather William. US Civil War, from Gettysburg to Trevillian Station he commanded Company G, 5th Michigan Cavalry as a Captain.

My Grandfather Charles and his brothers served in the Army and Navy in WWII. He was an Army Air Corps radioman stationed in northern Canada in to the start of the Cold War on the Dew Early Warning Line and lost several toes to frost bite. He also helped thin out the Canadian Mink population and drove around in one of the first snowmobiles while serving up there. :D I have his dog tags along with some of his gear.

My Father William served as an Aviation Storekeeper with VA-122 and VA-212 during the 1970's.

My Uncle served in the military (I don't know what branch) during the Gulf War.

I also keep my friends who have served or are serving in my thoughts.
George, Air National Guard. Stationed in Iraq.
Steve, US Navy. Undergoing training at NAS Pensacola. His bother James, discharged from the US Army due to a back injury and his older brother who is in Iraq.
John, National Guard. Currently at home.
Mike, US Army discharged many years ago.

[Oberon]

Great Grandfather
Served in both wars, in the 3rd Wiltshire Reg during WW1, fought at the Somme and Ypres, awarded the Military medal for gallantry acting as a runner at Messines Ridge.
Joined the MP during WW2, started off in a punishment camp in France but had to retreat with the BEP to Dunkirk, then served in North Africa. Was aboard HMS Strathallan when she was hit by U-562 but survived.
http://www.uboat.net/allies/merchants/ship/2528.html
Great Uncle
Served in WW2 in the Royal Navy, served aboard HMS Arrow during 1942, unsure of dates of service on other vessels but know that he served on HMS Iron Duke and HMS Barham, he just missed joining the Barham on her last service. Very lucky.
Grandad
Joined Royal Marines 45 Commando in 1945, saw service in Hong Kong and Malaysia.

I think my Grandad on my fathers side served in the Highlanders, but I'm not sure of the regiment, and I'm pretty sure his uncle or great-uncle was shot by a sniper in France during WW1.

We shall remember their actions and their sacrifices :yep:

[mog]

Lest We Forget.

I was in an exam, so whilst I was silent I am dissapointed that I could not specifically convey my respects at exactly 11AM.
I was in an exam too, and I'm quite annoyed that they scheduled it for that time. Hang your heads in shame, Sydney Uni bureaucrats.

[P_Funk]

My grandfather served in the Canadian Army in the Second World War and became part of the Special Forces. When he was with them he saw some terrible things. He watched Dieppe from a cliff top, completely unable to save his comnrades. He was part of a small team that blew up a huge ammo dump at St. Nazaire. He once mouthed off to Patton. He even once met Intrepid (it was his job to collect intel from him).

He was retuned to his usual unit just before D-day and he commanded a tank on Juno beach. He later helped to liberate Holland.

I have come to appreciate war for what it really is to the best that an unexperienced person can because of him and the stories he tells me. No book can really impart the true emotion that I can feel in his voice every time he tells me a story of some kid that didn't make it. In his own words "The real shame of it all was the beautiful young men that never came home, that never got to live."

He remembers names, places, how people died, and all the silly **** that they did together. The happy stories and the sad stories really make me appreciate the human cost of a war. When he dies I want to make sure that his experience and his wisdom aren't lost. Like they say.

Lest We Forget

[Onkel Neal]

I remember my Grandfathers. May they rest in peace.

Raymond, 36th Infantry Division from Texas- North Africa Landings, The Battle for Kesserine Pass, 2nd wave Salerno Sicily Landings, The Battle for San Pietro, The Battle for Monte Cassino... receiving wounds that ended the war for him near Lyons France late 1944.

Frank, 106th Transport Battallion- Enduring the buzz bombs with the English, later fighting alongside General Patton's men to relieve the 101st Airborne at Bastogne, crossing the bridge at Remagen, and on into the Rhineland. When he was called to return home in 1946, he had spent a year coordinating the influx of humanitarian aid to those that he just couldn't see as enemies anymore.

.... and thas is only the tiniest piece of the story.

All suffered on all sides.

I honor their memory.

I salute your grandfathers and would like to know more.

[Kapitan]

great great uncle:

was on board submarine K13 during world war one she never saw action instead she sank on her final dive trials and he was one of the unlucky ones.
submarine K13 sank with the loss of over 30 crew on january 29th 1917 in the gerelock scotland.


Another family member:

was on the canadian belived to be a stores ship HMCS stradacona (stradconia?) i am unsure wether its a base establishment or ship but it was during world war one.

grandfather:

was a royal engineer through out the second world war and was one of the lucky last people evacuated from dunkirk, he later went on to build all sorts of millatery establishments including the piers at scapa flow which now hold the nuclear missile submarines.


had other family in the millatery during both wars one such part of my family a lady cant remember much about her cant even remember her connection but, in one month a member of my family lost all three of her sons in combat in the short space of 4 weeks.

my nans brother was lost while on convoy duty on a possibly corvette or another type of escort ship during WW2 ship name is unknown.

grandad mums side

was a sapper dropped behind enamy lines targeted to blow up german ammunition dumps and fuel storage depots one such depot he blew up towards the end of the war if not the last knockings of it, he blew up this ammunition store and took out every window in the village with the force of the blast,

he was later demoted and put to work in the salt mines.

have more family in the millatery but these wre the one i could think of