Veteran's Day

Thread Starter

DerStrom8

Joined Feb 20, 2011
2,390
Happy Veteran's Day, everyone!

I'd like to extend my most sincere appreciation to anyone here who has served their country, either in the past or currently. We are a much better country now because of you all. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your service, and I salute you. Happy Veteran's day!
 

JoeJester

Joined Apr 26, 2005
4,390
We sleep peaceably in our beds at nights only because rough men stand ready to do violence in our stead.

-- George Orwell

Thanks to all who served in their country's military. Armistice Day, 11/11, celebrates the end of the war to end all wars, WWI. Unfortunately that wasn't to be the war to end all wars.
 

Adjuster

Joined Dec 26, 2010
2,148
Armistice Day... Two minutes' silence today at 11, and a ceremony to come on Sunday at the Cenotaph in Whitehall, London.

I'm not from a military background, but my father fought in WW2, and he happened to pass away one Remembrance Sunday.
I believe that the old man had few doubts about the necessity of what he was asked to do, even though it left him mentally scarred.
I'm not sure that present-day combatants are always so sure about it, but we really must not forget the sacrifices they make on our behalf.

Sadly, a number of extremist groups of different kinds seem to be trying to muscle in on these ceremonies, trying for instance to hijack the poppy symbol for their own ends. I dearly wish that they would not bother.
 

thatoneguy

Joined Feb 19, 2009
6,359
A Veteran is someone who at one time wrote a check to the United States of America for an amount up and including their life, in order to keep our freedom.

Thank you, Veterans.
 

#12

Joined Nov 30, 2010
18,224
Each year, I tell my brother in law, "Thank You".
I am so grateful that I didn't have to go to that war, and it's partially because you did go.
 

justtrying

Joined Mar 9, 2011
439



Wait for me

Wait for me, and I’ll return,
Wait, and I will come.
Wait when heavy yellow rains
Try to bring you down.


Wait through summer’s wasting heat,
Wait through falling snow,
Wait when others still repeat
Not to stay alone.


Wait with hope when letters stop,
Strong and tough just be…
Turn away from those who’re stern,
From their grief stay free.


Wait for me, and I’ll return
No illusions..Try
To escape the ones who mourn,
Keep away your heart.


Let my son and mother cry
And believe I am dead.
And ignore friends’ tears around
When weak hope is spent.


Bitter wine they’ll drink..Forget,
Their compassion, too.
Wait for me, believe instead..
Pray and smile once more.


Wait for me, and I’ll return.
I will go through flame.
I’ll be back to you, I’ll burn
Any threat’s disgrace.


They will never understand
How among the fire
Out of lethal empty space
I have come alive.


Only you and I will know why
I am at home again..
Why you’ve learned to wait in time
Like nobody has.

(Konstantin Simonov, 1941)


 

amilton542

Joined Nov 13, 2010
497
My documentaries for the past couple of weeks have consisted of World War Two. To face such fear on a catastrophic scale makes you feel grateful for the life we have been given.

The mass graves are truly horrific and make me stand and stare :(.

You are gone but never forgotten.
 

justtrying

Joined Mar 9, 2011
439
My documentaries for the past couple of weeks have consisted of World War Two. To face such fear on a catastrophic scale makes you feel grateful for the life we have been given.

The mass graves are truly horrific and make me stand and stare :(.

You are gone but never forgotten.
Simply put, if you are from Europe, you are lucky to be alive. My grandmother survived in a city where over a million people died (no certain number). I don't need a day to remember that, I grew up always aware of the damage done by people to people and grateful that my grandparents survived. If we had lower capacity for suffering maybe we wouldn't do things like that to each other... Where my grandmother lives is a park, during the war they had a factory there that was turned into a crematorium, now there is a little church. The huge cemetary where people are buried who passed away during the war is much like a park as well, you will always find many people there.
 
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