Remembrance Day/Veterans Day

[Buzz]

On this day once a year we take time to gives thanks to and remember those who gave so much and some everything for us to enjoy the life we have today. From me a sincere Thank you.

They went with songs to the battle, they were young.
Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted,
They fell with their faces to the foe.

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.

They mingle not with their laughing comrades again;
They sit no more at familiar tables of home;
They have no lot in our labour of the day-time;
They sleep beyond England's foam.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ode_of_Remembrance

ETA:
It's Veterans Day in the U.S. and Remembrance Day in much of the British Commonwealth.

 

[skatesindreams]

To all who have served; many thanks.

 

[purple skates]

Happy Veterans Day to all! I wonder how many of us on FSU served. I’m a US Navy vet.

 

[Anemone]

 

[skatingguy]

Lest we forget ...

 

[Spun Silver]

Things have changed so much. It used to be that wars affected everyone. My mother lost her fiancé. My father and at least one uncle served in WWII. I know there are some veterans in my parish. But none of my siblings or I or any of our cousins served. Only one close friend is a veteran. She lost two brothers in Vietnam and joined the Army specifically to find her third brother and bring him home. Which she did, miraculously. He was a broken man but he was alive. After the Army she served in law enforcement. She’s a born warrior and one of the most amazing people I’ve ever met. She and her family are full-blooded Indians, mainly Apache, and grew up dirt poor, which probably has to do with why the brothers ended up in Vietnam. There is such a class divide now between those for whom military service is a way of life and those who never even consider it.

Anyway, all thanks to those who took on such a great responsibility. You saw and did things that the rest of us will never fully know (if at all) or understand, and so many of you paid a terrible price for it. The world would be a much worse place without our warriors.

 

[skatefan]

Thank you to all who fought to give us the freedoms we have today.
I honour in particular my grandad John Arthur Wilkinson, King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, WWI who as a teenager survived the trenches of France and Belgium.

 

[Kasey]

Happy Veterans Day to all! I wonder how many of us on FSU served. I’m a US Navy vet.

Air Force here.

Happy Veteran's day. Whether you agree with your government or not, these are people who at one point in time or another, sacrificed a lot (as did their families) to protect the freedoms and ideals their country was founded upon and represents for many.

 

[Spun Silver]

Just in case anyone is interested, here is a wonderful website that helps you send a care package to an active-duty member of the US military (future veteran). Service members sign up and post what they need, as well as how many people they are posting on behalf of. You can pick the branch, the country they are serving in, and select the individual member of your choice. The site owner has lots of helpful suggestions, including the fact that letters are the most valuable thing of all to send. Whatever you send goes to an APO/FPO in the US for transport to the country in question, so it doesn’t cost that much to mail. Be ready to fill out a customs form though. The service members don’t usually write back (they are kind of busy) but when they do, it is very touching! I love this group.
http://anysoldier.com/index.cfm

 

[paskatefan]

Thanks to ALL of the Veterans, past & present EVERY day!

 

[topaz]

I am an ARMY vet and I say thanks to other veterans as well.