Remembrance/Armistice Day

[Nicolas King]

Today is Remembrance Day here in Canada (and a variety of other, similar, days world wide[note]except in the states where it's Veteran's Day and Memorial Day takes away half the function and in New Zealand/Australia where ANZAC day is the more important holiday[note]).
And I've noticed that a lot more hype seems to be coming from the fact that it's the eleventh day of the eleventh month of the eleventh year [note]"Happy 11/11/11, y'all!" [note] than is being given to remembering the anniversary of the end of the first world war, and the sacrifices of those in the multitude of wars as a result of that war and following it (and really, most of the wars to the present day continue to have been resulted at least in part by the first world war). And that makes me kind of sad.
So I was wondering if any of you have plans for the day? Or any thing you regularly do as an act of remembrance? Do any of you wear a poppy this time of year [note]though I did read an interesting article about the politicization of the poppy in Canada and how that has caused some people to refuse to wear it anymore in remembrance[note]?

Personally, I've worn a poppy through the week and have been reviewing WWI/WWII stuff. I've also started to look in to how I can get my papa's (great grandfather's) WWII military information from the government. He died while I was still too young to ask him about what he did and what the war was like for him, and talking to family members he hated talking about the war and told them all different things that he supposedly did [note]one great aunt was told that he was a prison guard in Belgium, I think my grandma was told he drove officers around in the French campaigns, somebody else was told something different - and it makes me highly suspicious [note]. So now that he's gone I'd like to find out what I can some of the only ways that are available to me. [note]Though the government seems to like making things a hard time, too. [note]
I also think I'm going to make my way down to City Hall today and attend the Remembrance Day ceremony at the cenotaph[note]Interesting thing about our cenotaph: It was moved from one part of town to City Hall, but when it was moved to City Hall (block by block) they reassembled it backwards. There's a plaque on it talking about its symbolisms and how the cross with the sword inlaid on it for the greatest sacrifice known to man and the sacrifice of the soldiers is 'facing the rising sun' but that side is totally facing west now, the setting sun. Fail quail.[note]
I've also started reading some wartime poetry. Every Canadian probably knows "In Flanders Fields" off by heart, and at least the Ode of Remembrance from "For the Fallen" but I found the poetic response to "In Flanders Fields" in "We Shall Keep the Faith" and the history behind that poem equally interesting, as well as the complete text of other poems which we've generally just butchered for our own purposes.
In Flanders Fields
We Shall Keep the Faith
For the Fallen

 

[Briar Rowan-Cullen]

well it is almost the end of Remembrance day here but i found the last post on youtube and then had two minutes silence (in my silent house where it had been silent all day) I also wore a poppy (although there is not many places that sell them here). that is certainly the least i could have done.
I felt pretty bad that on facebook a lot of people put happy 11, 11, 11. not remembrance day.(although i did have to take a photo of my watch saying 11/11 11:11 Fri 11 (Date, hurs minutes, day seconds)) I myself put up a poppy picture and put the poem in flanders field as the caption instead

 

[Chloris Durand]

I was a little disheartened to see so few people wearing a poppy. And as for the internet.. Last Remembrance, I remember everyone shopped a poppy onto their twitter photo. Nobody seems to have done even that. Well, I did see one person who had done it, and that's the twitter of a fictional character from a television series.

Spoiler: This is heading into a rant...

All my Facebook friends' have things like "WOO! IT'S 11/11/11! MAKE A WISH!". About three have actually remembered Remembrance day. Admittedly, I've as good as ditched Facebook, because all people seem to care about are soulless numbers and if they look 'cute' in their profile photo. A few years back, on social networking sites, I read poetry that people had uploaded in memory of the fallen, and it was wonderful, and it felt like there was some hope left. But now I'm just lost for words to describe how little faith I have left in the human race when all they seem to do is moan on their Facebooks about not having any shoes to go clubbing in.
I think I just broke the fullstop/right arrow key from jabbing it so hard. It's ok, I've got another one. But what's not okay is people having no respect for the fallen. They fought to save this land, and for what?
/end of

There's a special Armistice Day service at church on Sunday that I intend to go to. I'm not religious, as such, but I have always, and will always make the time to honour the memory of the fallen.

Rest In Peace​

 

[Isabella Pisces]

Happy Veterans/Memorial Day/Other variants of this day everyone! I've been very excited to celebrate Veteran's Day this year because my grandpa is still around and this Holiday has always been really important to him. I promised I would take him out to the Memorial Service tomorrow, then were going back to another relative's house to have some food and such. I asked him to bring some old pictures and stuff from the war and if he could, bring some of his dad's pictures from WWI. I just hope he remembers because I always like looking at the pictures.

It would have been really cool to visit Arlington National Cemetery today, but since I live nowhere near the capital that wouldn't be possible.

Lastly, Happy 11/11/11 everyone!

 

[Hadan Winters]

Happy Veteran's/Memorial/Remembrance Day! As someone with a lot of family members that fought in many wars and things, I am a little saddened that I don't get to spend today with them. But I guess a call would work. I don't know what I want to do today other than just tell others how I appreciate their work for our country.

Jessye, the Arlington National Cemetery is amazing to visit, anytime of the year. I'll take you there one of these days.
And happy 11/11/11 (I dunno what it means anyway) everyone!

 

[Nicolas King]

And happy 11/11/11 (I dunno what it means anyway) everyone!

Sarcasm never escapes you, does it?

 

[Hadan Winters]

Nope. Not usually.
But the whole "11 11 11" thing I really don't know anything about. Veteran's day, yes. But not the three 11's deal.

 

[Isabella Pisces]

Have you ever heard the term: Make a wish at 11:11 Kaitlyn?

 

[Delilah Richarde]

Or have you heard of the Beckoning of Lovely created by Amy Krouse Rosenthal? DFTBA everyone.

Also yeah... Lest We Forget and all that good stuff.​

 

[Professor Cyndi Kingsley]

But the whole "11 11 11" thing I really don't know anything about. Veteran's day, yes. But not the three 11's deal.

I'm right there with you. People have been talking about 11/11/11, and at first, I was fairly pleased that so many people were paying attention to Veterans Day...until I realized they weren't
I also saw someone mention that today is the 'Nerd New Year' because it is the last binary day of the 21st century I found that a bit more amusing than people thinking that today is supposed to be a lucky day.

---

I actually quite like the name 'Remembrance Day.' I hope that anyone who does have a family member who served in the war and even those who don't take the time to remember those who fought and died while serving their country.
In Flanders Field is a very powerful poem. Anthem for Doomed Youth is a very powerful poem as well.

 

[Nevaeh Haze]

See, now we had none of that in New Zealand. It's all Anzac day here, we don't get any other remembrance; heck I didn't even know it was Remembrance Day for you guys
But here's to all that died in the war, named and unnamed.

 

[Dederick Cullen]

My godfather a vet, so I pay respect those we lost and fallen. He still alive but with a bad knee, not sure if that was in Vietnam (sp?) or not. I him. Hope everyone celebrated it safe!

As for the 11.11.11 thing I just tweeted it once but than I realized no one said anything about it being an actual Holiday, so I'm like =/ and stayed off Facebook//Twitter for the most part of my day.