Remembrance Day 2010

[Pinner]

Originally Posted by Dion

My grandfather was a WW1 vet. He was also a POW in a German camp. At the wars end he exchanged helmets with a German officer. Sadly the medals he earned and the helment have gone missing. RIP

My Sister who is in the service, somehow had a bunch of metals re-issued for our Grandfather and Uncle's service in WWII and Korea. RIP

My Grandfather died as a POW when my Dad was only 2 yr's old, leaving behind a Widow and 4 young children...The pain of war lasts for generations, lest we forget.

[Suzles]

In remembrance of my late father who served in the Air Transport Auxiliary during WW2 - delivering planes all over the UK to help the RAF fight the good fight. In memory of my late step father who served in North Africa and he only ever talked about how he earned a shilling a day extra because he could speak French. My late father in law who was imprisoned by the Nazis in Poland - who escaped and made his way across Europe and then served with the allied forces. My mother in law who at age 12 in Poland in 1942 found herself totally alone as her father was dead and her mother was imprisoned by the Nazis. How she survived for 18 months I will never know. And I cannot forget my grandmother who lived near an American Air Force base in Maidenhead, England and, by all accounts, had a heck of a war!

[Winsor_Pilates]

In remembrance of my grandfather who fought in WW2 with India.
A reminder to me that this really was a world war, and countries that most don't often even think of being involved were sacrificing and fighting with their allies.
He passed away before I was born, but this day always makes me think about him and want to know more about him.

[Dion]

THE VETERAN ON OUR TEN DOLLAR BILL

If you look at the back right-hand side of a Canadian $10.00 bill, you will see an elderly veteran standing at attention near our National war memorial in Ottawa .His name is Robert Metcalfe and he died last month at the age of 90 years.

That he managed to live to that age is rather remarkable, given what happened in the Second World War.

Born in England , he was one of the 400,000 members of the British Expeditionary Force sent to the mainland where they found themselves facing the new German warfare technique - the Blitzkrieg.

He was treating a wounded comrade when he was hit in the legs by shrapnel.

En route to the hospital, his ambulance came under fire from a German tank, which then miraculously ceased fire.

Evacuated from Dunkirk on HMS Grenade, two of the sister ships sailing with them were sunk.

After his recovery, he was sent to allied campaigns in North Africa and Italy .

En route his ship was chased by the German battleship Bismarck .

In North Africa he served under General Montgomery against the Desert Fox, General Erwin Rommel.

Sent into the Italian campaign, he met his future wife, a lieutenant and physiotherapist in a Canadian hospital.

They were married in the morning by the mayor of the Italian town, and again in the afternoon by a British padre.

After the war they settled in Chatham Ontario where he went into politics and became the warden (chairman) of the county and on his retirement he and his wife moved to Ottawa .

At the age of 80 he wrote a book about his experiences.

One day out of the blue he received a call from a government official asking him if he would care to come downtown for a photo shoot.

He wasn't told what the photo was for or why they had chosen him.

'He had no idea he would be on the national currency,' his daughter said.

And now you know the story of the old veteran on our $10.00 bill !!

[FlameCity]

There's a great website called The Memory Project, it's Canada's largest online oral archive.

Link

STORIES OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR
This nationwide bilingual project offers an unprecedented account of Canada’s participation in the Second World War through thousands of firsthand veteran testimonials.

[FiftyBelow]

We had our Remembrance Day yesterday here in Australia, although, it gets significantly less attention here due to ANZAC day. Today I am remembering my great grandfather who served in the United States Army and who was killed in action somewhere in the pacific area (what the record says). His service has actually had huge implications on me being able to be born in Canada and for that I am forever grateful (personal story).

[Cowperson]

Originally Posted by NBC

Did he ever tell you anything about when he was wounded by gas? Or was that something that was never discussed?

I was a young boy and no, he never talked to me about that. I just remember making him cry one time, asking him in the innocence of youth how many Germans he had killed.

Through the war, he was shot on two occasions and gassed on another.

Within four days very late in the war, he was nominated for a Victory Cross and received a DSO for one action and, a few days later, a Military Cross for the other. He also received the French Croix de Guerre.

Referencing the pictures earlier, his citation reads: "On 29th September, 1918, during the storming of the St. Quentin Canal, north of Bellenglise, this officer most gallantly led his company by compass bearing towards the bridge called Riqueval Bridge. During the advance, the Company was held up by machine gun fire from a trench guarding the approach. This officer took forward a party of nine men, captured the gun, killing all the crew by bayonet and then carried on to the bridge, where the sentries who were guarding it were killed before they could fire the explosive charge. This officer then cut the leads and threw the charge into the canal, posted men on guard over the bridge and mopped up the vicinity, killing a large number of the enemy. His prompt action in cutting the leads and disconnecting the charges saved the bridge, upon which depended the whole success of the operations, not only of the whole Division but also of the Division which was leap-frogging us to a distance objective."

His Military Cross citation from four days later reads: "During the attack on 3rd October, 1918, near Sequehart, this offer showed conspicuous gallatry and initiative in bringing his Company Lewis guns into a position so that he was able to enfilade the two enemy field guns that were holding up the line. These guns he captured and also a nest of machine guns. During the whole operations, this officer has showed great devotion to duty."

And there were other things earlier in the war.

Amazing he lived through the conflict and amazing I'm here because of it. So, when I'm at a Remembrance Day service, I'm thinking about him and also of the day I made him cry, about 50 years after the events above.

Cowperson

[Deelow]

Isn't this just sick?
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukne...y-protest.html

About 35 Islamic protesters, dressed in dark clothes and with many masking their faces, carried banners and chanted slogans such as "British soldiers: terrorists".

The group confronted police officers and briefly fought with them, leaving one officer with a head injury requiring hospital treatment, and three arrests were made.

They gathered near Hyde Park in London before burning a model of a poppy on the stroke of 11am then marching along Exhibition Road and along an underpass, past the Victoria and Albert and Natural History Museums.
Asad Ullah, 23, a spokesman for the group who would only say he was from London, said: "The British soldiers you remember on this day are soldiers who have taken innocent lives in illegal occupations and unjust wars

[The Goon]

Here is a collection of videos of dogs welcoming home soldiers.

If you're a dog person, keep some tissue handy.

http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/40324

[CaptainCrunch]

We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile

[evman150]

Originally Posted by Deelow

Isn't this just sick?
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukne...y-protest.html

About 35 Islamic protesters, dressed in dark clothes and with many masking their faces, carried banners and chanted slogans such as "British soldiers: terrorists".

The group confronted police officers and briefly fought with them, leaving one officer with a head injury requiring hospital treatment, and three arrests were made.

They gathered near Hyde Park in London before burning a model of a poppy on the stroke of 11am then marching along Exhibition Road and along an underpass, past the Victoria and Albert and Natural History Museums.
Asad Ullah, 23, a spokesman for the group who would only say he was from London, said: "The British soldiers you remember on this day are soldiers who have taken innocent lives in illegal occupations and unjust wars

Perhaps poorly timed (obviously the timing is the point though), but I wouldn't say it's "sick".

They have a very good point - they just chose a poor time to make their point.

Also, they are kind of off on the final sentence there. The soldiers I remember and I think most people remember (for the most part, anyway) are the soldiers who died in the just wars of the 20th century, not the Bush/Blair wars of the 21st.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by evman150

Perhaps poorly timed (obviously the timing is the point though), but I wouldn't say it's "sick".

They have a very good point - they just chose a poor time to make their point.

Also, they are kind of off on the final sentence there. The soldiers I remember and I think most people remember (for the most part, anyway) are the soldiers who died in the just wars of the 20th century, not the Bush/Blair wars of the 21st.

Lets see

They were violent

They burned a symbol of war dead not only from the current conflicts but previous wars against great despots.

I wonder if they would be upset if I burned a picture of something valuable to them, like a picture of their god.

Of course I wouldn't because I respect their beliefs and they're symbols.

Yes they may not be sick, but they are violent and should be imprisoned, and they are morons.

[evman150]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

Lets see

They were violent

They burned a symbol of war dead not only from the current conflicts but previous wars against great despots.

I wonder if they would be upset if I burned a picture of something valuable to them, like a picture of their god.

Of course I wouldn't because I respect their beliefs and they're symbols.

Yes they may not be sick, but they are violent and should be imprisoned, and they are morons.

I agree. Not sick, just stupid.

Whatever (arguably) valid point they may have, it is lost in their violence and stupidity.

[NBC]

Originally Posted by Cowperson

I was a young boy and no, he never talked to me about that. I just remember making him cry one time, asking him in the innocence of youth how many Germans he had killed.

Through the war, he was shot on two occasions and gassed on another.

Within four days very late in the war, he was nominated for a Victory Cross and received a DSO for one action and, a few days later, a Military Cross for the other. He also received the French Croix de Guerre.

Referencing the pictures earlier, his citation reads: "On 29th September, 1918, during the storming of the St. Quentin Canal, north of Bellenglise, this officer most gallantly led his company by compass bearing towards the bridge called Riqueval Bridge. During the advance, the Company was held up by machine gun fire from a trench guarding the approach. This officer took forward a party of nine men, captured the gun, killing all the crew by bayonet and then carried on to the bridge, where the sentries who were guarding it were killed before they could fire the explosive charge. This officer then cut the leads and threw the charge into the canal, posted men on guard over the bridge and mopped up the vicinity, killing a large number of the enemy. His prompt action in cutting the leads and disconnecting the charges saved the bridge, upon which depended the whole success of the operations, not only of the whole Division but also of the Division which was leap-frogging us to a distance objective."

His Military Cross citation from four days later reads: "During the attack on 3rd October, 1918, near Sequehart, this offer showed conspicuous gallatry and initiative in bringing his Company Lewis guns into a position so that he was able to enfilade the two enemy field guns that were holding up the line. These guns he captured and also a nest of machine guns. During the whole operations, this officer has showed great devotion to duty."

And there were other things earlier in the war.

Amazing he lived through the conflict and amazing I'm here because of it. So, when I'm at a Remembrance Day service, I'm thinking about him and also of the day I made him cry, about 50 years after the events above.

Cowperson

That is very impressive. Those last hundred days saw some bitter defending from the Germans and was ultimately 'successful' in large part through the selfless actions of your grandfather and many other like him.

I've got a lot of time for Veterans.

[NBC]

Originally Posted by The Goon

Here is a collection of videos of dogs welcoming home soldiers.

If you're a dog person, keep some tissue handy.

http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/40324

Aw jeez, why did you have to go and do that?

[icarus]

I think I found the page in my great-great-uncle's Regimental war diary for the date where he died. He is not mentioned by name, but he was killed by a sniper overnight on Aug 28 while out rescuing an injured comrade in no man's land. Interesting to see the place name Sun Quarry in the regimental movements--that's where his grave is.

[worth]

A lesson that should be taught in all schools . . And colleges

Back in September, on the first day of school, Martha Cothren, a social studies school teacher at Robinson High School, did something not to be forgotten. On the first day of school, with the permission of the school superintendent, the principal and the building supervisor, she removed all of the desks out of her classroom.

When the first period kids entered the room they discovered that there were no desks.

'Ms. Cothren, where are our desks?'

She replied, 'You can't have a desk until you tell me how you earn the right to sit at a desk.'

They thought, 'Well, maybe it's our grades.'

'No,' she said.

'Maybe it's our behavior.'

She told them, 'No, it's not even your behavior.'

And so, they came and went, the first period, second period, third period. Still no desks in the classroom.

By early afternoon television news crews had started gathering in Ms. Cothren's classroom to report about this crazy teacher who had taken all the desks out of her room.

The final period of the day came and as the puzzled students found seats on the floor of the deskless classroom, Martha Cothren said, 'Throughout the day no one has been able to tell me just what he/she has done to earn the right to sit at the desks that are ordinarily found in this classroom. Now I am going to tell you.'

At this point, Martha Cothren went over to the door of her classroom and opened it.

Twenty-seven (27) War Veterans, all in uniforms, walked into that classroom, each one carrying a school desk. The Vets began placing the school desks in rows, and then they would walk over and stand alongside the wall... By the time the last soldier had set the final desk in place those kids started to understand, perhaps for the first time in their lives, just how the right to sit atthose desks had been earned.

Martha said, 'You didn't earn the right to sit at these desks. These heroes did it for you. They placed the desks here for you. Now, it's up to you to sit in them. It is your responsibility to learn, to be good students, to be good citizens. They paid the price so that you could have the freedom to get an education.

Don't ever forget it."

http://www.snopes.com/glurge/nodesks.asp

[GreenLantern]

This has probably been posted a hundred times on this forum, maybe even on this exact page.

But I just came across this today on a link from a friend, a lot of very powerful WW2 Pacific pictures with explanations.

http://blogs.denverpost.com/captured...ers/#more-1547