Remembrance Day 2011

[Gnostic]

I spent the morning at my local Cenotaph for a very good 11am service.

Four Generations of my family have served Australia and I make time every ANZAC Day and Remembrance Day to attend due to this deep personal connection.

Today especially I was mindful of my friend currently serving in Afghanistan. He is a Wallaby and Tahs fan, and regular reader of G&GR (when he can get internet access at the front).

To all our troops, on all battlefields from East Timor, Somalia and the Solomons to Afghanistan stay safe, and regardless of the politics involved the vast majority of Australians support and respect our troops.

Lest We Forget.

 

[cyclopath]

Well said, Gnostic.
I wish all our troops a safe deployment, wherever that might be, and hope any time they spend in harms way is short.

 

[Jnor]

I don't know if this is a tradition in Melbourne or something new but I saw it just after 11 this morning.

[video=youtube;KjoTGTsalqc]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjoTGTsalqc[/video]

Lest we forget both those that have gone before and those serving now.

 

[TOCC]

Often overshadowed by ANZAC day, Rememberance Day is a day to reflect on those serving members who have died in conflict....
Probably more pertinent now then in recent history, 2011 is shaping as the bloodiest year for the ADF in decades..

I just hope people continue to differentiate between the personal sacrifice and politics.

 

[Empire]

Locally, our services club (which was our clubs 'club') burned down earlier in the year - which was a huge shock and loss for the local Canberra community, especially those of us with links to the older parts of Canberra.

They today placed a Leopard MBT on a platform out the front, and have announced some sort of a time frame to rebuild what was an important building for servicemen and women in the ACT.

The service today, whilst low key (aside from the hulking tank..) is always poignant. Lest we forget.

 

[Lindommer]

Went past that yesterday, Empire, was surprised to note a main battle tank had appeared on the side of the road in the middle of Manuka. Always wondered what those charred bits of wood were, now I know. Thanks.

 

[Ruggo]

Stopped for my minute of silence like every year. What rememberence day is to me is the remembering of all lives lost during times of war indiscriminate of who or what side they faught for or on. To me it is mourning the loss of human life and no human life shall be labelled more valuable than that of another.

Lest we forget but please shall we learn from the horrors of the past.

 

[AngrySeahorse]

Stopped for my minute of silence like every year. What rememberence day is to me is the remembering of all lives lost during times of war indiscriminate of who or what side they faught for or on. To me it is mourning the loss of human life and no human life shall be labelled more valuable than that of another.

Lest we forget but please shall we learn from the horrors of the past.

Strongly agree with this Ruggo I have relatives that fought for Australia & her allies in past wars but I also have some German relatives too. It def puts things into perspective for me having people on both sides of some prior conflicts. Not too sure about learning from the past humans seem to be slow learners in that capacity.