We often forget that what we in the USA call 'Veterans Day' is, in most of the rest of the world, 'Armistice Day' - the day the guns fell silent, on November 11th, 1918 - and 'Remembrance Day', honoring all military veterans who died in the line of duty. I'm rather sorry that the USA chose to distance itself from the rest of the world in honoring this observance.
It's also the root of the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior in Westminster Abbey, England. You can read more about the history of that day here. It's worth it, showing the grief of a nation and Empire so soon after the events that inspired the memorial.
Thank you to all veterans who have served. I'm proud to call you my comrades in arms, no matter what your country. Let's also remember the fallen, who are forgotten by so many today. We, their living comrades, have more cause than most to honor them, because we've shared their service.
Peter
7 comments:
Yet, not less than ten days ago, the first of November, 2014, the Australian Federal Government 'gave' the Australian Defence Forces a pay rise of 1.3%, a rise below the Consumer price Index.
Further, they (Defence Forces), had to agree to LOSE Christmas leave, and also, ALSO, LOSE DAYS OFF YEARLY HOLIDAY LEAVE.
As a retired Serviceman, I am sickened at what the Australian Government is currently doing to our Defence Forces, sheeeee-it, we are not even allowed to call them, Army, Navy, Air Force, AND, in our national capitol, Canberra, Army, Navy and Air Force personell have been told NOT to wear their uniforms in public, lest their doing so might provoke a 'disagreement',(attack upon the wearer), a reaction, or protest.
It's that bad.
The United States has two (2) days. One (Nov 11th, Veterans Day, to honor all those that served. It used to be called Armistice Day to commemorate the end of the War to End All Wars but got changed after it was proven that was just a dream.
The other, May 30th (now moved to some Monday to create a 3-day weekend), Memorial Day was the day set aside to honor those that died in the Civil War of Northern Aggression to Combat Southern Secession In Order to End Slavery. [I think I covered the bases but may have missed a few.] Every time we had folks dying in "officially recognized" combat they got added to the list of those being honored, and now it's pretty much for anybody who used to be in the military but is now dead.
That puts The USA one up on you tea-drinkers. Not sure what that really means, but since we Yanks are known for our competitiveness (which should have been bred into you 1917-1919 and 1942 - 1946) I thought I would mention it.
stay safe.
Late in both Wars and of little use in the 1st I could say, as we stood alone in the World from 1940 to 1942 against Hiler whilst our friends the USA blead us dry of money and sat on their hands in front of Hitler I will not take lectures from the good'ol USA.
Even after the 2nd World War you gave Germany and the rest of Europe free aid in the Marshall Plan, whilst you offered the UK a rather nice loan at a rather expensive interest rate. As we still have to pay back £200m of debt to the USA for the First World War, one have to be careful when you state how wonderfuly you acted.
On this day of days I will remember the brave soldiers of France, the United Kingdom and Commonwealth who did so much to stop two acts of German agression.
Thank you for the years you spent in uniform, Peter. This old sailor salutes you!
I confess the black stillness of the Westminster Tomb has always struck me as a more effective statement than the American Tomb, which has a bit too much pageantry surrounding it. Too easy to forget that it is tomb.
I had forgotten the detail of the Crusader sword. For God, For King and Country.
Peter, here's a "good" story about the Great War, it leads me to wonder how many other areas are still lost?
http://theweek.com/article/index/271738/speedreads-archaeologists-unearth-grisly-battlefield-in-largest-world-war-i-excavation-ever
Thanks for your Service.
PS-one of the verification words is campaign. Interesting.
"and 'Remembrance Day', honoring all military veterans who died in the line of duty. I'm rather sorry that the USA chose to distance itself from the rest of the world in honoring this observance."
We have our own Memorial Day for honoring our gallant dead that grew organically out of our own national trauma.
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