Remembrance Day
Lest we forget
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.
My children took part in the Remembrance Sunday parade yesterday in our village, as they are both members of the scouts. It is so lovely to watch them be a part of something so important and I feel such pride watching them. They do understand why it is important because I explain the reason to them. My children also know that I served our country as a member of the Royal Air Force and I took part in the Remembrance Day parade in London and the Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall. This is something I am so proud to have been a part of and I still remember the day as clearly as if it were yesterday.
It is very emotional to watch the service, hearing from the veterans of world war two who had lived through the hell of war, the relentless bombing and killing. Seeing their friends die, hearing them call for their mum when they saw the torpedo tracks heading towards their ship. One described war as a blood bath with comrades killed and left, no graves. Friends never seen again. The fear of never seeing their children and families.
All the soldiers, aircraft and naval men and women, who fought for our country, giving us the freedom we have today, are the most courageous people. They fought even though they were scared. They were proud of their country and chose to protect it and all those in it. Without their sacrifice, we would not be free to live as we do now.
The veterans who came home will never forget those they lost and we must never forget either. There is no glory in war, there is no reason for war, nobody wants to kill others. One veteran said we should live together in peace and harmony and he is right. But we are still living in world where there are wars going on and for what? Power? Control? Ego? What possible reason could be good enough to justify the killing of people, destroying countries, creating hell?
I will continue to remember the many men and women who gave their lives for us and I will ensure it is remembered by my children and their children. There are veterans who fought in the war who are still alive today, but that won’t be the case forever, so the memory of what they did for us must be kept alive for our future generations. We can teach them the consequence of war and we can teach them about peace, love and kindness. Be ambitious without being destructive. Show kindness and acceptance. It is possible to have your own power without taking from others. If you can be content, you can find fulfillment. If you always want more, when will enough truly be enough?
‘When You Go Home, Tell Them Of Us And Say,
For Your Tomorrow, We Gave Our Today.’