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Happy Veteran's Day everyone!
From one proud vet to everyone else. Transvets are people too. Check out Transgender American Veterans Association for more information.
And just to be clear, this is to all Veterans of all nations who put themselves in harms way for the good of their people. All Veterans give of themselves and not just Americans.
But anyway... Happy Veteran's Day.
Comments
Thanks for the reminder...
....Thank you to everyone here who has served.
Dio vi benedica tutti
Con grande amore e di affetto
Andrea Lena
Love, Andrea Lena
Thank YOU.
for remembering.
Cathy USAF 1966-1974
As a T-woman, I do have a Y chromosome... it's just in cursive, pink script.
Thanking Those For Their Service
RAMI
Do all Veterans Thank You for your service. May you reflrct proudly on the time that you served.
I am very pleased to see this post and someone taking the time to do so.
RAMI
RAMI
In some ways, Transgendered
In some ways, Transgendered Veterans are forgotten warriors, many trying to hide their service or denying it and others not recognized for what they gave for their countries.
Heather
We are the change that will save the world.
Heather
We are the change that will save the world.
Armistice Day in the British Commonwealth
For the past 92 years Britain and the Commonwealth—formerly the British Empire—has observed two minutes silence at 11am on the 11th day of the eleventh month; even the BBC goes quiet here in the UK. Most people wear a poppy in their buttonhole bought from one of the thousands of volunteer collectors for the Royal British Legion who look after disabled ex-service men and women, or veterans as most people call them today.
It is a very poignant day for those of us who lost loved ones in times of war. I lost my father during the Second World War; he was a radio officer in the Merchant Navy on Atlantic convoys. Sadly I can't remember him at all, because I was only two years old at the time.
Gabi.
Gabi.
An illustration to go with your comment...
The final Allied push towards the German border began on October 17, 1918. As the British, French and American armies advanced, the alliance between the Central Powers began to collapse. Turkey signed an armistice at the end of October, Austria-Hungary followed on November 3.
Germany began to crumble from within. Faced with the prospect of returning to sea, the sailors of the High Seas Fleet stationed at Kiel mutinied on October 29. Within a few days, the entire city was in their control and the revolution spread throughout the country. On November 9 the Kaiser abdicated; slipping across the border into the Netherlands and exile. A German Republic was declared and peace feelers extended to the Allies. At 5 AM on the morning of November 11 an armistice was signed in a railroad car parked in a French forest near the front lines.
The terms of the agreement called for the cessation of fighting along the entire Western Front to begin at precisely 11 AM that morning. After over four years of bloody conflict, the Great War was at an end.
http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/armistice.htm
Dio vi benedica tutti
Con grande amore e di affetto
Andrea Lena
Love, Andrea Lena
Armstice Day
I remember the poppies from when I was in grade school. I haven't seen them around here lately.
Didn't Hitler have the French surrender in the same rail car?
I spent 21 1/2 years in the military and have been retire (from the military)for 22 1/2 years. I'm not sure what seems longer.
Portia
Portia
His Revenge
RAMI
Hitler (Y'Mach Shamo {May His Name Be Erased])) considered it one of his greatest moments when he got his and Germany's revenge against the French. He rubbed it in their faces my making the French surrender in the same rail-car.
Thank you Portia for your service.
RAMI
RAMI
The Poppy
is alive and well here in Canada. I wear two one on my work hat and another on my jacket. We always wear them here every year, we always take our two minutes of silence and we have a parade with military veterans to the memorial in town where the surviving WW2 vets are waiting. I took Mom this year because it's the first year she's lived in town. The whole thing always gets to me.
For anyone who's ever served.
Thank you, thank you for your duty and sacrifices.
Bailey Summers
No offence intended
But I have a problem with associating Remembrance Day, as it is now called, with the word "Happy"
The fourth verse of Binyon's poem iis usually read out at our ceremony, before the 'Last Post' is played.
FOR THE FALLEN.
With proud thanksgiving, a mother for her children,
England mourns for her dead across the sea.
Flesh of her flesh they were, spirit of her spirit,
Fallen in the cause of the free.
Solemn the drums thrill; Death august and royal
Sings sorrow up into immortal spheres.
There is music in the midst of desolation
And a glory that shines upon our tears.
They went with songs to the battle, they were young,
Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted;
They fell with their faces to the foe.
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old,
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.
They mingle not with laughing comrades again;
They sit no more at familiar tables of home;
They have no lot in our labour of the day-time;
They sleep beyond England's foam.
But where our desires are and our hopes profound,
Felt as a well-spring that is hidden from sight,
To the innermost heart of their own land they are known
As the stars are known to the Night;
As the stars that shall be bright when we are dust,
Moving in marches upon the heavenly plain;
As the stars that are starry in the time of our darkness,
To the end, to the end, they remain.
LAURENCE BINYON
Perhaps it was a poor choice
Perhaps it was a poor choice of words but the point is remembrance is observed. This is the point of the poem most often recited in Canada and I believe where the poppy symbol originated from:
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
Indeed
I know that poem as well. I have my poppy, as every year, andI observed the two minutes even though I was dealing with somebosy at the time. The work of the Legion was appreciated when we buried my father, and it is the reason I highlighted them in my 'Viewpoints' story. Volunteers, including little old men in partial uniform, or their widows, have been selling poppies for weeks at supermarkets and other places.
Last year's Remembrance was notable for an 'old soldier' who turned upwith a chestful of medals and took part in a number of parades. He was what is called a 'liar', and had bought the decorations over a number of years. Those who knew the honours knew his implied claims were bollocks, and he was publicly condemned in the press and utterly humiliated.
Good.
There is a regular complaint about it 'glorifying war', as well as a continuing series of interest groups demaning their own memorial, even one 'for the animals'
Here is my take. Forget particular groups.It has nothing to do with glorification. This is a service to honour and remember those who died horribly because some politicians are less than nice. They are, were, all fellow human beings. Keep their memories alive in the hope that we shall never be so stupid, so easily, again.
On this day I do like to
On this day I do like to listen to Green Fields of France, as it certainly does help you remember the who and the why.
The reason I go for Happy Veteran's Day is that in the US it has gone beyond Armistice Day and into a recognition of all Veterans of all conflicts. I think it is happy when you reflect on the numbers of people being recognized for their service to their Nations and not just all those brave soldiers who fought and often died in WWI.
I think any Nation is honored greatly by those citizens who wish to serve and especially by those willing to join the armed services. Someone I know put it this way, it is a person that is willing to write a blank check to their country whose ultimate cost might be their lives and are still willing to do it. It isn't about war or glorifying such a stupid, bloody practice but rather about honoring those who did serve and gave such to their country.
I am happy that there are others who served and continue to serve. That is all.
Heather
We are the change that will save the world.
Heather
We are the change that will save the world.
Armistice/ Remembrance Day…
… in the UK covers EVERY conflict in which Britain has been involved, including Malaya, Korea, Northern Ireland, The Falklands, Iraq and Afghanistan.
We also remember that up to and including the Korean War, there was mass conscription, so many of those who died were not volunteers, but conscripts.
Sorry, Heather, but I have to agree with Cyclist on this; Vetreans’ Day, might well be a day to celebrate and on which to be happy in the USA, but in UK (and, I presume, the Commonwealth) it is a day of solemn remembrance
Gabi.
Gabi.
That is certainly the truth
That is certainly the truth here in Canada.
Green fields
To quote the charming and humane composer, whom I am honoured to have met and chatted with, and who was gracious enough to give me personal permisson to quote from that song in one of my books, "They had changed the title from 'No Man's Land' to 'Green fields of France', which I thought was alittle cheeky, but it's not a bad title. So, as I'm not stupid,I took copyright out on both"
http://www.lyricstime.com/eric-bogle-no-man-s-land-green-fie...