Remembrance Day is Coming

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Fred22

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On November 11 Remembrance Day ceremonies will take place across Canada and the Commonwealth. It is the day we remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for the freedoms well all enjoy . My son will lead his Army cadet Corps Honour guard for our remembrance day ceremony. He's 16 and the same age as I was for my first remembrance day ceremony in what seems like ages ago. One of the lads I worked with on that one was Sgt Mike Ralph. Mike was our first fatal casuality in Yugoslavia and left behind a wife and two young daughters.
I would urge all to pause a moment on November 11 and remember those men and women like Mike who have lost their lives so we could all enjoy the freedom we have.
 
I plan on going to a ceremony in Seattle that day.
 
Nov. 11 is, of course, Veterans Day for us in "the States." Our elementary school does an annual salute to all veterans and my sons (both 11) are both in it with one having a (solo) speaking part of some kind. We'll be there (althoug I think the program is actually the 10th).

(Nov. 11 is also my mom's birthday. And she's old enough to always remind me that her birthday is on Armistice Day)
 
do you guys in america and canada do the two minutes silence thing on rememberance day?
 
do you guys in america and canada do the two minutes silence thing on rememberance day?
Two minutes here. A lot of our traditions in this regard came over from your side of the pond:)
Cheers
Fred
 
Well our remembrancr ceremony went well. It covered past and present. There was a local fella just back from Afghanistan. When one of our city councellors asked him to stand he received a standing ovation from 800 people. There was also a senior on stage who laid a wreath for her six brothers who died in World war 2. My son who led the cenotaph detail told me this woman wept behind him and it made him as sad as he has ever been. All did a great job including my son. It truly was a day filled with tremendous sorrow and pride .
Fred
 
My father is the only vet I know nowdays... so I took him out to dinner at his favorite place. He is now 90 years old, and although he had attended many memorial services over the decades since WWII, he passed on it this year even when I offered to join him. In the '40s he was in the U.S. Navy and served as a gunner on one of those thousands of supply ships that moved in convoys across the North Atlantic helping to keep Britain on it's feet. As a child, I was unable to brag much to my friends about that (it wasn't a sub, or a destroyer, or a battleship, and he sure didn't make it sound exciting on the rare occasion he talked about it). As an adult, however, my perspective is a lot different. He was in harm's way the whole time... and a lot of other good men, doing exactly what he was doing, did not come home because of the early U-boat successes. I'm proud of him, and in my own way, I think I let him know that.
 
My father is the only vet I know nowdays... so I took him out to dinner at his favorite place. He is now 90 years old, and although he had attended many memorial services over the decades since WWII, he passed on it this year even when I offered to join him. In the '40s he was in the U.S. Navy and served as a gunner on one of those thousands of supply ships that moved in convoys across the North Atlantic helping to keep Britain on it's feet. As a child, I was unable to brag much to my friends about that (it wasn't a sub, or a destroyer, or a battleship, and he sure didn't make it sound exciting on the rare occasion he talked about it). As an adult, however, my perspective is a lot different. He was in harm's way the whole time... and a lot of other good men, doing exactly what he was doing, did not come home because of the early U-boat successes. I'm proud of him, and in my own way, I think I let him know that.
Merchant navy has guts a plenty I think.
Cheers
fred
 
I agree Fred, but an important detail here, during WWII one of the way to move the needed material (far more needed moved than existing shipping could handle) and to combat the number of ships being sunk by the U-boat terror, 2,751 Liberty ships were constructed. Most often, the sailors on these vessels were the men of the US Navy not the merchant marine. These were the first commercially produced ships with welded hulls (most often built by women). Sailors serving in combat ships were so critical of the design that they were reported to have respect for any sailor willing to risk his life just sailing on one, let alone one filled to overflowing with ammunition.

My father was aboard the the USS Manderson Victory (an ammunition carrier) from the day it was commissioned until it was decommissioned (more than three years later) after the end of the war effort.

Brave men indeed.
 
I agree Fred, but an important detail here, during WWII one of the way to move the needed material (far more needed moved than existing shipping could handle) and to combat the number of ships being sunk by the U-boat terror, 2,751 Liberty ships were constructed. Most often, the sailors on these vessels were the men of the US Navy not the merchant marine. These were the first commercially produced ships with welded hulls (most often built by women). Sailors serving in combat ships were so critical of the design that they were reported to have respect for any sailor willing to risk his life just sailing on one, let alone one filled to overflowing with ammunition.

My father was aboard the the USS Manderson Victory (an ammunition carrier) from the day it was commissioned until it was decommissioned (more than three years later) after the end of the war effort.

Brave men indeed.

Well John I certainly admire your fathers courage and service. In Canada and the UK it was civilians who crewed the ships on convoy. Liberty ships helped win the war and serving on an ammunition carrier was rivalled only by service on a tanker.
My Uncle Stan served on HMCS Mayflower
https://www.readyayeready.com/ships/shipview.php?id=1250
Corvettes fulfilled a vital role but were a nasty piece of work to serve on apparently rolling on wet grass according to something I read somewhere once :) Uncle Bill was a tail gunner on a Halifax bomber and Carman served with first Canadian parachute.
Uncle Everett was killed on forward recon near Bruges while serving with the Royal Regiment of Canada in September 1944.
https://www.vac-acc.gc.ca/content/collections/virtualmem/photoview.cfm?casualty=2214434&photo=1427
My oldest brother served in Persian Gulf One while my next oldest brother has served in the navy for 25 years. I've seen the odd nasty spot myself but when I feel completely humbled when I read how Everett's regiment suffered over one hundred percent casualities from D-Day to VE day. I was the first in my family to vist his grave over fifty years later. It was sad to look at his grave next to over 850 of his comrades but I take a great deal of pride in what his regiment and others accomplished.
Fred
 
On November 11 Remembrance Day ceremonies will take place across Canada and the Commonwealth. It is the day we remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for the freedoms well all enjoy . My son will lead his Army cadet Corps Honour guard for our remembrance day ceremony. He's 16 and the same age as I was for my first remembrance day ceremony in what seems like ages ago. One of the lads I worked with on that one was Sgt Mike Ralph. Mike was our first fatal casuality in Yugoslavia and left behind a wife and two young daughters.
I would urge all to pause a moment on November 11 and remember those men and women like Mike who have lost their lives so we could all enjoy the freedom we have.

Fred,

Since you are part of the Commonwealth, it was amazing to hear that only 1 in 4 British students know who Winston Churchill was ... matter of sad fact, they think we was the first man on the moon:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...chill--wasnt-man-moon--classroom-howlers.html

https://tinyurl.com/yjz4c6g

I'm sure what ever will happen will happen

Jonathan
 
Fred,

Since you are part of the Commonwealth, it was amazing to hear that only 1 in 4 British students know who Winston Churchill was ... matter of sad fact, they think we was the first man on the moon:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...chill--wasnt-man-moon--classroom-howlers.html

https://tinyurl.com/yjz4c6g

I'm sure what ever will happen will happen

Jonathan
Hi Jonathan,
Ive met some pretty amazing young folks from the UK:) The latest is Phil who admins our board:)
Cheers
fred
 
Hi Jonathan,
Ive met some pretty amazing young folks from the UK:) The latest is Phil who admins our board:)
Cheers
fred

When did you meet Phil?

I met him on a trip to the UK back in April of '05 when he and his dad took me to the EARS (East Anglican Rocket Society) launch.

OMG! That was 4 years ago!:y:

He must be all grown up now.
 
When did you meet Phil?

I met him on a trip to the UK back in April of '05 when he and his dad took me to the EARS (East Anglican Rocket Society) launch.

OMG! That was 4 years ago!:y:

He must be all grown up now.
Just on the board Gordon :) I am sure someday in person :)
Cheers
fred
 
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