Remembrance Day or Veteran's Day?

[TCBF]

Well, we have brought this on ourselves.  Today, Rememberence Day has gone from being solely for the fallen and organized by their surviving comrades in arms, to a government controlled media event complete with talking points geared for each age group, so the approved 'message' gets out.  It is no longer influenced heavily by the RCL, and now has become a defacto Veteran's day where the emphasis has encompased the living veterans as well as those still serving.

To me, this is an abomination.  The 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month is on Rememberance Day.  Every other day of the year can be veteran's day, but 11 Nov should be the day where even veterans can say "It isn't about me, it is about my buddies who never returned - Thank them". 

To ignore military and veterans issues all year and pack them into one week tends to push rememberance of The Fallen off to the side.  When that happens, we focus on the living and contemporary issues (like white poppies).  Is that rememberance?  The theme is "Lest We Forget" not "Thank those who made it."

The survivors of the Great War To End All Wars decided to stop calling it Armistice Day (though many continued to do so - it was the first name I heard it called as a small child) and instead focus on the fallen, not on the victory.  It is slowly morphing into a Military Cultural Awareness Day.

The RCL, with it's declining membership, probably could not draw the political muscle to arrest this change even if it decided to do so.  The government won't do it, as it is also a defacto "Celebrate Canadian Peacekeeping Day" and none want to talk about losing over 100,000 dead in our 20th Century Wars.

The day should be for the dead, not the living.  We can look after the living the rest of the year.

Visit a Canadian Military Cemetary in Europe, and the truth becomes picture clear. 

We have guys who spent the Cold War making Freddy Heineken a billionaire driving around with 'Veteran" license plates. We can thank them the other 364 days of the year.

Tom

 

[AJFitzpatrick]

I agree wholeheartedly with your opinion.

Should perhaps Vimy day be used to honour the veterans?
I think the Americans have it right in separating the two days.

 

[Shec]

Well said Tom old friend.  We Canadians like to talk about our values.  Let us not de-value those who bought them for us with the most precious possesion they owned.

The March of the Dead

The cruel war was over -- oh, the triumph was so sweet!
    We watched the troops returning, through our tears;
There was triumph, triumph, triumph down the scarlet glittering street,
    And you scarce could hear the music for the cheers.
And you scarce could see the house-tops for the flags that flew between;
    The bells were pealing madly to the sky;
And everyone was shouting for the Soldiers of the Queen,
    And the glory of an age was passing by.

And then there came a shadow, swift and sudden, dark and drear;
    The bells were silent, not an echo stirred.
The flags were drooping sullenly, the men forgot to cheer;
    We waited, and we never spoke a word.
The sky grew darker, darker, till from out the gloomy rack
    There came a voice that checked the heart with dread:
"Tear down, tear down your bunting now, and hang up sable black;
    They are coming -- it's the Army of the Dead."

They were coming, they were coming, gaunt and ghastly, sad and slow;
    They were coming, all the crimson wrecks of pride;
With faces seared, and cheeks red smeared, and haunting eyes of woe,
    And clotted holes the khaki couldn't hide.
Oh, the clammy brow of anguish! the livid, foam-flecked lips!
    The reeling ranks of ruin swept along!
The limb that trailed, the hand that failed, the bloody finger tips!
    And oh, the dreary rhythm of their song!

"They left us on the veldt-side, but we felt we couldn't stop
    On this, our England's crowning festal day;
We're the men of Magersfontein, we're the men of Spion Kop,
    Colenso -- we're the men who had to pay.
We're the men who paid the blood-price. Shall the grave be all our gain?
    You owe us. Long and heavy is the score.
Then cheer us for our glory now, and cheer us for our pain,
    And cheer us as ye never cheered before."

The folks were white and stricken, and each tongue seemed weighted with lead;
    Each heart was clutched in hollow hand of ice;
And every eye was staring at the horror of the dead,
    The pity of the men who paid the price.
They were come, were come to mock us, in the first flush of our peace;
    Through writhing lips their teeth were all agleam;
They were coming in their thousands -- oh, would they never cease!
    I closed my eyes, and then -- it was a dream.

There was triumph, triumph, triumph down the scarlet gleaming street;
    The town was mad; a man was like a boy.
A thousand flags were flaming where the sky and city meet;
    A thousand bells were thundering the joy.
There was music, mirth and sunshine; but some eyes shone with regret;
    And while we stun with cheers our homing braves,
O God, in Thy great mercy, let us nevermore forget
    The graves they left behind, the bitter graves.

--- Robert Service

 

[geo]

Nfld marks both days..............
Remembrance day in Nov
Memorial day in May

 

[AJFitzpatrick]

I thought the Newfoundland Memorial Day is the Monday closest to Canada Day.

 

[Haggis]

This is eerie.  I had this very discusssion (while unknowingly presenting Tom's points) with my all-civilian carpool tonight.  They also agreed with this.

I guess, Tom, this means we're on the same net.

A big "+1" to you  nonetheless.