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Joined:
August 2003
Posts: 430
Location: Lebanon, TN | Well I miss of course HP sauce, back bacon sandwiches Cadbury's chocolate (real not the Hershey's fake stuff they sell in Grocery stores over here). However...
Over the last year I have been able to download TV shows that are captured by folks in the UK and made available to select members through UKNova torrent websites. A variety of BBC, comedy, reality, talk show and documentary shows is what comes through.
This morning I had the enormous pleasure to watch this years Cenotaph Commemoration broadcast live on the BBC yesterday morning (Sunday). On the Sunday closest to 11/11 this is the UK's formal tribute to veterans and those who perished takes place in Whitehall, London. It just reminds me how bloody well we Brits do ceremony. Unlike anything I have ever seen anywhere in the world.
The whole event was conducted in such reverence with such style and grace and right in the heart of one of the largets cities in the world. The only thing you can hear is the most amazing military bands, the commands of a single sergeant major and bird song during the silences drowned out by the canon salute. The march of servicemen and support organizations, widows and families and veterans marching to military marching tunes get's me crying every year I see it.
I went at the weekend to a ceremony here in PA and was sad to see the lack of attendance other than veterans and their immediate families and the local scout troop.
In the UK, for the weeks running upto 11/11 almost everyone wears a poppy, at 11 am on 11/11 everything stops for the silence...malls silence music and make the announcement for the silence, stores stop ringing check-out lines, people pay respect. Of course it's not everyone, but I notie a significant difference in attitude.
In Harrisburg recently the Hilton hotel I was staying at around 10pm pushed a note under eveyone's door to say a contingent of Marines were coming home right past the hotel and invited anyone who wanted to to pay there respect on the street around midnight. Myself and around a dozen hotel employees were out there clapping as four coaches drove past and the driver slowed as he saw us. (The hotel was sold out and there are over 400 rooms)
I don't really understand, that politics put aside, why folks in the US other than veteran's and servicemens family's just dont understand how to demonstrate their support for events like this or to show support to our servicemen.
Growing up by the ocean my favourite passage for this time of year is Psalms 107: 23-30
They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters; These see the works of the LORD, and his wonders in the deep. For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof. They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble. They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits' end. Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses. He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven.
If anyone would like a copy of the BBC show I can burn it to a CD for you that you can watch on your computer (550MB AVI file). Just email me
Thank you and God Bless all our countries veterns and service men and women. |
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Joined:
December 2001
Posts: 10581
Location: NJ | Stu
somehow some of that has been lost through the years. My dad along with my uncles and their cousins all WWII and korean vets would muster their color guard and go to services at local cemetaries, memorials and parades. I don't remember a time when a grave did not have a flag or a medallion from their participation in service. I miss my pop more every time veteran's day or memorial day passes.
Without getting political, I will just say that times, people and circumstances change. The one constant is that men and women die. This is most unfortunate. I was lucky that none of my friends or relatives have given their lives in Viet Namm, the gulf war, or Iraq or other conflicts but several have come back and their lives have been changes forever both physically and unfortunately mentally.
My hope is for peace but knowing the nature of man this is a dream. |
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Joined:
November 2005
Posts: 4820
Location: Campbell River, British Columbia | turnouts at the cenotaph in my small town were up again this year over last. Same in Ottawa (my mother-in-law watches it every year)
Turnouts have been increasing the last couple years around here, with our troops deployed in Afganistan.
Like England, a goodly silence is observed. We have 3 WW1 veterans left alive at this time. It was noted on a broadcast over the weekend that we are as historically removed from the events of WW1 as the people in 1914 were from the Napoleonic wars.
It's a challenge to keep the memories and reasons for them fresh. But we try. |
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Joined:
April 2006
Posts: 972
Location: PDX | Originally posted by alpep:
S.....My hope is for peace but knowing the nature of man this is a dream. Which reminded me of Voltaire's Candide:
"Do you think," said Candide, "that mankind always massacred one another as they do now? Were they always guilty of lies, fraud, treachery, ingratitude, inconstancy, envy, ambition, and cruelty? Were they always thieves, fools, cowards, gluttons, drunkards, misers, calumniators, debauchees, fanatics, and hypocrites?"
"Do you believe," said Martin, "that hawks have always been accustomed to eat pigeons when they came in their way?"
"Doubtless," said Candide.
"Well then," replied Martin, "if hawks have always had the same nature, why should you pretend that mankind change theirs?"
_____
gh1 |
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Joined:
December 2003
Posts: 13984
Location: Upper Left USA | Veterans of WWI and WWII came back from witnessing things they couldn't start to talk about and since everyone else had been involved it wasn't necessary to talk about it. It was all understood.
In later conflicts we have lacked the understanding, the camaraderie and the ability to communicate what has happened. Enter more instantaneous gratification and stimulus. We think that Ceremony is a 15 second thank you at the Grammy awards, time to change the channel...
I believe some of those ceremonies and rituals were more solemn because they were the main means of one generation to remember, process, and pass down to the next generation some significant events and lessons. |
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Joined:
October 2006
Posts: 11
Location: Santa Clarita, California | My oldest son has spent one tour in Kosovo and two tours in Iraq. My second son spent one tour in Iraq and now is a LEO. My third son is not a veteran but is an LEO and has preformed in Veterans Color Guards for the last 10-years.
I'm sad to say but to some Veterans Day is just another day of the week. My flag flies proudly 24/7.
Mark |
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Joined:
December 2004
Posts: 4394
Location: East Tennessee | Originally posted by MWoody:
Veterans of WWI and WWII came back from witnessing things they couldn't start to talk about and since everyone else had been involved it wasn't necessary to talk about it. It was all understood.
In later conflicts we have lacked the understanding, the camaraderie and the ability to communicate what has happened. Enter more instantaneous gratification and stimulus. We think that Ceremony is a 15 second thank you at the Grammy awards, time to change the channel...
I believe some of those ceremonies and rituals were more solemn because they were the main means of one generation to remember, process, and pass down to the next generation some significant events and lessons. Sadly Memorial Day is the same way. :( |
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Joined:
August 2002
Posts: 8307
Location: Tennessee | My flag flies proudly 24/7 Amen, brother. |
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OT:- Veterans Day and things I miss about the United Kingdom
