Race, religion, sex, sexuality, political standing, student protests, strikes, football, road rage, and arguments. All pail into insignificance at 11am on the 11th November every year. It's the one time, the one day where people stop and think. People's squabbles and petty differences are temporarily forgotten to show in one voice, that we will 'Never Forget'. 93 years on from the end of World War 1 the same respect and thanks is still shown. Admittedly the younger generations don't necessarily understand the significance of the sacrifice given by those men and women, but they wear a poppy, the observe the silence and think about the fallen.
Remembrance day in modern climes stands for more than remembering the first world war. And even the second world war. It's a day to simply remember, to thank and to honour the fallen. The fallen from every generation. From every battle, past and present. The sacrifice made to protect our country and our way of life. While we stand still for two minutes there are men and women facing fire from foe the world over. They are putting their lives on the line in the name of their country, our country, and the very least we can do is put our lives on hold every year to remember that.
As we stand and observe the silence, the famous words of war poet Wilfred Owen ring true:
"Dolce et Decorum Est, Pro papria mori"
It's a sweet and proper thing to die for ones country. This is the sentiment of war. The sentiment of our troops. Though many fear death, they are more than willing to risk it for the honour and privilege to serve their country. And, in turn, we honour it, we respect it and we will never forget it.
Remember our fallen and donate:
Oh jeez ,you've got it sooo wrong. I'm an ex gunner, 148 battery. I've lost friends and proteges in the Afghan conflict. Saw some sights myself in Iraq and elsewhere.
ReplyDeleteThe latin your trying to recite is Dulce et Decorum ext pro Patria Mori, from Horace. Wilfrid Owen called it the old lie (it was inscribed in the halls at Sandhurst). Owen was writing about the horrors of war and warning you that you wouldn't send your kids armed with dreams of glory and patriotism if you could see and hear exactly what it meant.
If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood
Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs
Bitter as the cud
Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues,—
My friend, you would not tell with such high zest
To children ardent for some desperate glory,
The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est
Pro patria mori.
If you wish to support those still fighting or those that have fought in the past, injured or not, we have Armed Forces Day in the Summer. Let's keep Remembrance Day exactly that, for remembering the fallen and not turning it into some jingoistic flag-waving exposition on how brilliant we all are.
Have realised today that none of my blog comments have shown up prior to this. Sorry to barge in with a critical comment. Keep up the good work, enjoying the blog.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate critical comments. I wasn't trying to glorify war, it was merely a blog to show the respect and thanks I have. I do know the sentiment of the poem, i was just using the title to draw attention to those who paid the price with their life. I know that armed forces day is there for that wry reason but in the world as it is and the youth acting as they do it was just nice to see some respect across the generations. Sorry if my way of putting that offended you. It wasn't my intention x
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