Comments on: Remembrance http://www.grannymar.com/blog/2007/11/08/remembrance/ I am not a has-been. I am a will be. Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we are here we might as well dance Thu, 17 May 2012 07:00:23 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Grannymar http://www.grannymar.com/blog/2007/11/08/remembrance/#comment-1593 Grannymar Sat, 10 Nov 2007 10:56:38 +0000 http://www.grannymar.com/blog/2007/11/08/remembrance/#comment-1593 Gary 'Political Armchair Generals' with all the answers bug me! Gary ‘Political Armchair Generals’ with all the answers bug me!

]]> By: Gary http://www.grannymar.com/blog/2007/11/08/remembrance/#comment-1589 Gary Sat, 10 Nov 2007 10:10:41 +0000 http://www.grannymar.com/blog/2007/11/08/remembrance/#comment-1589 Nice memories, nice memories. I always stop on Rememberance Sunday and watch the cenotaph service on tv and never fail to gasp at the hypocrisy of the politicians who lay wreaths for the dead of past and present, some of whom would not be dead, wounded or mentally scarred if it wasn't for the inability of politicians to find a conflict solution that does not involve killing people. Nice memories, nice memories.

I always stop on Rememberance Sunday and watch the cenotaph service on tv and never fail to gasp at the hypocrisy of the politicians who lay wreaths for the dead of past and present, some of whom would not be dead, wounded or mentally scarred if it wasn’t for the inability of politicians to find a conflict solution that does not involve killing people.

]]> By: Grannymar http://www.grannymar.com/blog/2007/11/08/remembrance/#comment-1567 Grannymar Fri, 09 Nov 2007 10:22:36 +0000 http://www.grannymar.com/blog/2007/11/08/remembrance/#comment-1567 Steph, ‘For the Fallen’ is recited by all church congregations who hold a service of remembrance. It always makes the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. Steph,

‘For the Fallen’ is recited by all church congregations who hold a service of remembrance. It always makes the hair on the back of my neck stand on end.

]]> By: steph http://www.grannymar.com/blog/2007/11/08/remembrance/#comment-1560 steph Thu, 08 Nov 2007 23:10:07 +0000 http://www.grannymar.com/blog/2007/11/08/remembrance/#comment-1560 My Dad took part in the D-Day invasion (at sea). Luckily he survived that day and stayed on in the Navy for a further 5 years visiting India, Ceylon (Sri Lanka) and Singapore. He told me that for many years afterwards he never mentioned to anyone that he'd been in the British Forces for fear of recrimination. Sad, isn't it and not much has changed today. There's some interesting poetry from WW1 days to be found here http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/remembrance/poetry/wwone.shtml 'For the Fallen' by Laurence Binyon 1914 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. My Dad took part in the D-Day invasion (at sea). Luckily he survived that day and stayed on in the Navy for a further 5 years visiting India, Ceylon (Sri Lanka) and Singapore. He told me that for many years afterwards he never mentioned to anyone that he’d been in the British Forces for fear of recrimination. Sad, isn’t it and not much has changed today.

There’s some interesting poetry from WW1 days to be found here
http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/remembrance/poetry/wwone.shtml

‘For the Fallen’ by Laurence Binyon 1914

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.

]]> By: Grannymar http://www.grannymar.com/blog/2007/11/08/remembrance/#comment-1559 Grannymar Thu, 08 Nov 2007 22:13:14 +0000 http://www.grannymar.com/blog/2007/11/08/remembrance/#comment-1559 Steph, so many Irish men served in both world wars and never received recognition for the part they played. My husband was English and his war (WW2) took him across the world to South Africa, India, Celyon and into Burma. His father before him had played his part in France during WW1. Steph, so many Irish men served in both world wars and never received recognition for the part they played.

My husband was English and his war (WW2) took him across the world to South Africa, India, Celyon and into Burma. His father before him had played his part in France during WW1.

]]> By: steph http://www.grannymar.com/blog/2007/11/08/remembrance/#comment-1558 steph Thu, 08 Nov 2007 21:14:26 +0000 http://www.grannymar.com/blog/2007/11/08/remembrance/#comment-1558 Grannymar - this morning I dutifully polished my 88 year old father's war medals and brought them in to him in his nursing home. He is Irish but served in the Royal Navy throughout WW2. His eyes lit up when he saw his medals again and he will wear them with great pride on Sunday. We chatted about old times today and while Dad may have forgotten what he had for his lunch, he hadn't forgotten about the wonderful forgiveness of Gordon Wilson twenty years ago today. My Mum lost her only two brothers (my uncles) in service in the RAF during WW2 (buried in France) and her family never really recovered from the loss. My parents are very proud to have a grandaughter (my daughter) called Poppy! Thank you, Grannymar for highlighting the importance of remembrance. Grannymar - this morning I dutifully polished my 88 year old father’s war medals and brought them in to him in his nursing home. He is Irish but served in the Royal Navy throughout WW2. His eyes lit up when he saw his medals again and he will wear them with great pride on Sunday.

We chatted about old times today and while Dad may have forgotten what he had for his lunch, he hadn’t forgotten about the wonderful forgiveness of Gordon Wilson twenty years ago today.

My Mum lost her only two brothers (my uncles) in service in the RAF during WW2 (buried in France) and her family never really recovered from the loss.

My parents are very proud to have a grandaughter (my daughter) called Poppy!

Thank you, Grannymar for highlighting the importance of remembrance.

]]> By: Grannymar http://www.grannymar.com/blog/2007/11/08/remembrance/#comment-1557 Grannymar Thu, 08 Nov 2007 19:42:24 +0000 http://www.grannymar.com/blog/2007/11/08/remembrance/#comment-1557 We are told its all over. Yet today a young Policeman dropping his child at school and was about to drive away when a car drew up beside him and he was shot at close range. He recovered enough to drive to the nearest Police Station where someone took him to hospital. We are told its all over. Yet today a young Policeman dropping his child at school and was about to drive away when a car drew up beside him and he was shot at close range. He recovered enough to drive to the nearest Police Station where someone took him to hospital.

]]> By: Baino http://www.grannymar.com/blog/2007/11/08/remembrance/#comment-1556 Baino Thu, 08 Nov 2007 19:12:36 +0000 http://www.grannymar.com/blog/2007/11/08/remembrance/#comment-1556 Awful times GrannyMar. Such a useless pursuit. Look now at places of past conflict. We love to holiday in Vietnam and Cambodia, Ireland is more or less peaceful. Croatia and Serbia have become cheap holiday destinations too, hungry for the tourist dollar yet all were sites of such devastation, it makes me wonder what it was all for in the long run. We don't celebrate poppy day here in any big way but we should. I wonder if in years to come, we'll be travelling to Afghanistan or Iraq as tourists rather than combatants. Awful times GrannyMar. Such a useless pursuit. Look now at places of past conflict. We love to holiday in Vietnam and Cambodia, Ireland is more or less peaceful. Croatia and Serbia have become cheap holiday destinations too, hungry for the tourist dollar yet all were sites of such devastation, it makes me wonder what it was all for in the long run. We don’t celebrate poppy day here in any big way but we should. I wonder if in years to come, we’ll be travelling to Afghanistan or Iraq as tourists rather than combatants.

]]> By: chrisb http://www.grannymar.com/blog/2007/11/08/remembrance/#comment-1555 chrisb Thu, 08 Nov 2007 17:26:56 +0000 http://www.grannymar.com/blog/2007/11/08/remembrance/#comment-1555 I think that day will be etched in everyone's memory. It must still be a very sad anniversary for many families. I think that day will be etched in everyone’s memory. It must still be a very sad anniversary for many families.

]]> By: Nancy http://www.grannymar.com/blog/2007/11/08/remembrance/#comment-1554 Nancy Thu, 08 Nov 2007 16:48:13 +0000 http://www.grannymar.com/blog/2007/11/08/remembrance/#comment-1554 Grannymar, You sent me scurrying for my Wikopedia with this post. The entry for the Enniskillen Bombing brought most of that horrible day back to me. The more I thought about what the encyclopedia told me ,the better I recalled what I did know about that day. We had a local twist to the bombings. In our neighborhood we had a large Irish Restaurant. I won't mention the name . It was an open secret that this place was a contribution center for the IRA. The people who frequented this place thought they were doing a good thing when they dropped money in the box in support of the IRA. They were probably not well informed about the situation in N.Ireland and thought they were aiding a good cause. UNTIL...... The Enniskillen bombings and the famous Bono speech. He really took the people to task who were keeping the IRA in bullets and bombs with their money and almost immediately the contributions to the IRA at that restaurant and other places here in America dried up. It opened the eyes of people all over the World to the situation and the need for pressure on the governments involved to seek a diplomatic solution to the problem. Grannymar,

You sent me scurrying for my Wikopedia with this post.

The entry for the Enniskillen Bombing brought most of that horrible day back to me. The more I thought about what the encyclopedia told me ,the better I recalled what I did know about that day.

We had a local twist to the bombings. In our neighborhood we had a large Irish Restaurant. I won’t mention the name . It was an open secret that this place was a contribution center for the IRA. The people who frequented this place thought they were doing a good thing when they dropped money in the box in support of the IRA. They were probably not well informed about the situation in N.Ireland and thought they were aiding a good cause. UNTIL……

The Enniskillen bombings and the famous Bono speech. He really took the people to task who were keeping the IRA in bullets and bombs with their money and almost immediately the contributions to the IRA at that restaurant and other places here in America dried up. It opened the eyes of people all over the World to the situation and the need for pressure on the governments involved to seek a diplomatic solution to the problem.

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