Remembrance Day & Veterans Day

[Kathy]

Yes definitely shameful, I agree. Especially upon a forum such as this, where many members are veterans and have PTSD for that very reason.

 

[hodge]

Yes of course the United States participated in WWI !! However, whilst the origin of Remembrance Day began with WWI, it has now extended to include all the other wars since. The actual point of the day is to remember and honour all veterans of all wars. It is quite insulting to pick and choose who "deserves" to be remembered and who does not.

Yes, it is the same with Veterans Day in the U.S. In the early 1950s a relative of a WWII soldier began a lobbying effort to change "Armistice Day" to "Veterans Day" in order to remember all veterans of all wars..actually, all veterans, period. Eisenhower made the holiday change here in 1954.

After WWII and the Korean War, so many recognized that remembering only WWI vets was indeed unfair. I'm glad it was changed. I'm sorry it needed to be.

Honestly, I pondered for several hours about how to start this thread. As a recognition to so many on our forum who are veterans, though, I felt it was very important that there be a thread on this. (I even did a search and found that Marlene/Lisa started a thread on the same last year - thanks Lisa!) Without being a veteran myself, or coming from a military family, and being troubled by the necessity for militaries in any country, I doubted my personal "credentials" for doing so. But, hey, I grew up in a democracy because of veterans. And I'm very grateful for all from any country who have sacrificed themselves to gain or preserve or restore freedom - anywhere.

 

[Noone.]

Thanks to all us vets, be safe.

Fire.

 

[CCurry]

Happy Remembrance Day!!

Until I met my OH, shamefully I was one of those ignornant people walking around taking my own liberities for granted...and trust me I'm not proud of that!

As 11 am hits today I will be thinking of those who lost their lives defending ours and to all the broken heros who are left living with an invisible wound they call ptsd.

Thank you for serving, each and everyone of you have my respect for all that you have done!

C.

 

[anni]

Hi,
Thanks for this thread. My family has had members who served in every war since the Revolution. We lost many, also. Some were in enemy prison camps, one came home and died later from being exposed to chemical warfare, a few served all their lives through whatever wars they were called to. My nephew just got back from Iraq. He can't talk about it but lost so many friends there.

Wherever we live and however we live the bottom line is that we can only do it because our military people enable us to live without thinking every day about how on earth we have the freedom to do so. I'm not a flag-waving conservative by any means. In point of fact I'm a solid liberal. I only get to be one because certain segments of our free societies choose to spend their lives between us and the chaos which would ensue without these amazing people. Enlisted or drafted into war they basically went somewhere and got shot at for all of us. That has always been a humbling thought to me.

I think that person who made the 'Yank' remark was pulling our chains in a rather detestable manner. Let's rise above that nonsense and disallow them the satisfaction of seeing their remarks even dignified with comment. Whatever country our military people serve, they perform the same service with the same very real sacrifices.

Thank you to all who served, which includes of course everyone in the services as of 5 minutes ago!

Take care,

Anni

 

[NarcSis]

Just getting ready to head out to services - not so sure I can do this without losing it this year.

"Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn,
At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, We Will Remember Them".

Thank you to all of our veterans.

 

[Grainne]

I'll add my heartfelt thanks and thoughts to all those who are and were brave enough to serve.

 

[Frankie]

A heartfelt thank-you for all who served our countries, for those whose lives are lost forever in their ultimate sacrafice, for those that are still in service.....and for all vets who, on a daily basis, are still living their own horrors of war.

Bless you and be safe.

Frankie

 

[bonnecanyon]

Today is a very special day for me. It makes me sad (yet proud) of all the men and women who sacrificed so much so I could be free. I am of the Vietnam era and I will never forget the draft and this war and how it changed this country. My brother went into the Army right out of high school. He came back alive, but he was never the same. His soul was fractured and he became a drug abuser.

Thank You Thank You Thank You to everyone who has ever worn a uniform and served their country.

 

[Paloma]

I have very much enjoyed thanking all of you. I was starting to flip out over the "yanks" comment. I too have family who served in all wars for the USA and the UK before we immigrated. My brother and I served together. It was the end of Vietnam and we were non-combatants. But for every soldier who is on point in the war zone...and deserves our greatest appreciation...there are thousands in the background supporting them and maintaining equipment, etc. enduring a lot of long hours, deprivation and hardships.

I am a liberal ( before and after) the military. I am also a patriot and a citizen who believes in a citizen army...not just the disenfranchised but everyone. I endured some terrible experiences that contributed to my PTSD. But I earned my citizenship ...the hard way.

When someone thanks me for my service, it really matters to me.:kiss:

 

[Manic11]

Remembrance Day has always been important to me, as it is to most. But after learning so much more about Combat PTSD and hearing their stories, I feel like I can't do enough.

Thank you so much for your service. You're always in my thoughts, not just on this day.

Manic

 

[helena]

I'm not sure whether that post was just an attempt at a bad joke or what but I am from the UK and the 'yanks' (and many others) saved us.

I was too young to be in the war, but I will never forgot the horror stories from my family - prisoner of war camps; the blitz; babies being thrown in the Thames... when the Americans came my mother said that they wept with joy

(and yes, they loved the candy and the stockings!)

Many years later an American ship came into port and my mother (70+ at the time) was out with the 'girls' who all went into raptures when the American naval boys came into the bar and said 'oh, look it;s just like the war!!

I'm not making it light of it, they lost babies, homes, mothers, fathers and were starving most of the time. But they loved the 'yanks' and they never forgot them.

Sorry, don't want to drag this out but had to respond.