veterans day (1 Viewer)

Yesterday it was REMEMBERANCE DAY in Australia, and this year, being the centenary of the commemoration, I attended a few locations.

First we walked up to our local War Mmorial in Fremantle for the annual service and at 11:00 the bugler, a sailor, played the Last post and 1 minute later, Reveille to signify the ending of The Great War. Following on there were addresses by serving servicemen and women, and a wreath laying on the memorial. This memorial has the names of all 847 men who didn't return from that war, my uncle included, and 18 yo lad who copped a piece of shrapnel, 3 months before then end. He's still laying in a grave in France.

In the early afternoon we drove in the city and up to the Sate War Memorial at Kings Park where there was a tribute to the 60000 plus Australians killed in the Great War, it was knitted red poppies installed on the lawns nearby … very moving to see how many lives lost.

Later in the afternoon we attended a concert of Faure's Requiem and one by Benjamin Britten in our Perth Concert hall. The program was broadcast nation wide, and the soloists were on stage in costume, the soprano as a nurse, the baritone as a digger, and the narrator as a German AND there was a Lighthorseman on his horse on stage !!!!!! At the end of the performance we were informed that when it started at 16:00 local time, it was 9:00 in Paris, the same time as the armistice was signed, and when it finished at 18:00 it was 11:00 in Paris, so exactly 100 years since the Armistice.

So that's how I spent Armistice (Remembrance) day here 'down under.

Lest We Forget
 
I spent Sunday dedicating a Veterans’ Memorial for the Village of Roslyn Harbor (where I serve as mayor) and hosting a reception at my home for the Veterans who attended and the Boy Scout Troop that helped raise the money for the Memorial and actually worked to install it and build a garden around it.

I asked our Village to install a Veterans Memorial as soon as I was elected 3 years ago. A Boy Scout named Jay Wiebe asked if he could raise the money as his Eagle project. We worked together on a design, Jay prices the garden materials and our Village Clerk priced the bronze plaque and the boulder. We authorized Jay to raise the money, and he was able to raise all but about $400, which I donated. Over a weekend in October, Jay, his family and Troop 71 performed the installation. We had over 50 people at the dedication, including about 15 veterans. I gave a short speech, thanked each veteran for his service by name, shaking each veteran’s hand (which was difficult as my back was out and I needed to lean on a walker), then asked Jay to dedicate the Memorial. Afterwards, we opened the little garden first to the Veterans, then everyone present.

The Veterans and Scout Troop came to my house next for a reception (anyone who’s been to a NY Symposium would have recognized it). Throughout their lunch, my son led Veterans and Boy Scouts on a tour of my collection. The Veterans seemed to really enjoy being fussed over, and it felt great to honor and thank them for their service.😎😎😎😎😎
 
We in the UK also call it "Rememberance Sunday"

As many British people do, I watched the live ceremony on BBC TV in the morning - and very good it was too, as usual. It's held each year at the Cenotaph in London.

After lunch, we went down to Plymouth Hoe - where the Naval War Memorial is located in Plymouth. It's a beautiful place and setting, and right next to a Disabled car-park - so very handy for both of us - who are not so mobile as we used to be.

Along with a good crowd of other people - we paid our respects at the Memorial - especially thinking about my Father - who was a sailor in WW2 - and my Grandfather who was with the Royal Horse Artillery in WW1. My wife was thinking of her father - and Grandfather, who both served in the Welch Regiment.

Afterwards we had a stroll along the promenade which overlooks Plymouth harbour - and I couldn't help but think back to the time when Sir Francis Drake was playing bowls on this very spot - when news of the invading Spanish Armada was sighted. He must have looked out at the view I was having at that moment.

Sir Francis famously carried on playing - and we both popped off for a nice cup of coffee at a convenient Café.

Here's a pic of the Naval War memorial situated on Plymouth Hoe - as it was earlier in the year, when the "Poppies Wave" visited Plymouth - which we also visited earlier in the summer.

jb

poppies at plym.jpg
 
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