Remembrance Day, 2005

On the 11th hour, of the 11th day, of the 11th month, the guns ceased. Today, the British Commonwealth countries remember those who came before, and those who came after, and all who have given in their nation's service. Americans know this day as Veteran's Day, and a number of European countries know it as Armistice Day.

Too many others have said it better than I can, so I'll just let them do so:

• Must-Sees: Armed Liberal; Support the Troops; Destroying Hitler's birthday cake...
• Remembrance Day: Background
• Canada's Remembrance
• Veteran's Day, USA
• Stories from Today's Front Lines: Heroes, Soldiers, et. al.
• Commentary

Must-Sees

• Armed Liberal's 2003 post about Veterans Day, liberalism & patriotism is exceptional. Be ye left or be ye right, you needed to read it. In 2004, he improved on it - and A.L. added some more thoughts in 2005.

• Blackfive's "Someone You Should Know" category does nothing but profile (multinational) heroes from the front lines, and tell their stories. Someone has to, because you sure won't see it in the New York Times.

• Blackfive also has another category called Fallen But Never Forgotten, with another set of stories. Societies and civilizatons endure because they have enough people like this.

• On Veterans Day in 2005, The Rocky Mountain News ran an outstanding series that had been a year in the making called "Final Salute." US Marine Corps Maj. Stephen Beck didn't ask to do casualty notification, but he thinks and he cuts no corners in his efforts. "In this business," he says, I can't save his life. All I can do is catch the family while they're falling." This job isn't always done properly - and it should be. RMN notes: "In each case in this story, the families agreed to let the paper chronicle their loss and grief. They wanted people to know their sons, the men and women who brought them home, and the bond of traditions more than 200 years old that unite them." (Hat Tip: reader Tony Jivoin)

• Want to support people like these? Our compiled How to Support the Troops post gives you lots of options, for a number of countries. Including a few options you would never have imagined.

• MG's Dawn Patrol today has lots of good links from the Milblogger community. There's always lots of good stuff in the Milblogger community, if you want to hear from the folks on the front lines directly.

• Soldiers are human - and often damned funny. Nobody does obituaries like the Brits, and... you've just gotta read this one.

• What an outstanding post by John of Castle Argghhh!, on marching in his first Veteran's Day parade, and the depth of the bonds veterans share, and why. His closing salute from an American vetran to Canadian veterans was classy as hell, the capper to an outstanding post. May those 13 toasts to absent friends go down smooth, John - and know that we, too, salute them today.

• "...So on Hitler's last birthday in this world, my father helped destroy his birthday cake and used his billy club to subdue some of his most fanatical supporters." You know you want to read the rest.

• Photos aplenty, set to beautiful music and folded into very fine tributes that are so very appropriate on this day.

Remembrance Day: Background

Remembrance Day is generally celebrated throughout the countries that were part of the British Commonwealth during World War I. One notable wrinkle is that many Commonwealth countries include The Boer War, aka. The South African War, in their monuments and remembrances. South Africa, which went on to fight beside the British in both World Wars, celebrates the day but has a slightly different perspective.

There is no official ceremony in Germany, or in Russia where the bloodletting was an important contributing factor in the 1917 revolution. Still, semi-official events by veterans and appearances or statements by German diplomats abroad do occur (in 2005, Germany did old its own small ceremony in Berlin).

• Here's an excellent audio rendition of The Last Post (QuickTime), traditionally played at the close of Remembrance Day ceremonies.

• The traditional poem that signifies this day is In Flanders Fields, first published in England's "Punch" magazine in December, 1915. It was penned by Canadian Lt. Col. John McRae, MD.

• The symbol of the poppy on this day is nearly universal, reflecting the poppies that grew over the mass grave that Flanders Fields became. While John McRae got the tradition started, the wearing of the poppy to keep faith was a multinational effort that included an American named Moira Michael, the French secretary Madame Guerin, and the British Legion. Today, it is present as a symbol in America but not emphasized nearly as prominently as it is in the Commonwealth countries.

Canada's Remembrance

• The National Post's Canada.com has its own set of remembrance stories.

• CTV decided to focus on the 1943-1945 Italian Campaign for their 2004 Remembrance Day feature. A good decision; Italy was the scene of some of the Canadian army's fiercest fights in places like Ortona (compare that urban battle to Fallujah 2004) and the Liri Valley, but it's rarely remembered.

• 'Massamune' adds a comment to my July 1st 2004 Canadian Inventions post, reminding us that a Canadian named Cluny MacPherson designed the prototype for the gas mask in 1915. Necessity is a mother...

Veteran's Day, USA

Note that America has both Veterans Day and Memorial Day. The distinction is sometimes confusing for outsiders, but it's simple. Memorial Day is specifically focused on those who gave their lives in the service of their country; Veterans Day honours all who serve or have served in America's armed forces.

• Americans play Taps at the end of remembrance ceremonies and military funerals (9/11 West Point Taps vigil, Quicktime | Standard Taps, .WAV file). Read an article at West Point Connection if you want to understand what's behind these 24 notes.

• Unfortunately, the Pentagon is being forced to use ersatz recorded bugle playings due to a shortage of talent. Volunteers needed and wanted by "Bugles Across America".

• US Department of Defense: Veterans Day 2005 site.

• America Supports You.MIL: Veteran's Day 2005 site.

• The US Library of Congress Veterans History Project collects and preserves stories of wartime service.

• The Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington has an on-site and on-line exhibit called The Price of Freedom It goes beyond the "great man" way of remembering history to honor the lives and sacrifices of average soldiers who fought and died from Yorktown, Va., to the streets of Fallujah, Iraq.

Stories from Today's War: Heroes, Soldiers, et. al.

Even a partial listing of Winds' 2005 stories and coverage in this area became so long that it required its own post. Check it out!

Commentary

• Posting in our comments section, Sgt. B recalls the Shakespearean speech of a famous English King upon St. Crispin's Day, as he contemplates the Battle of Fallujah and this Veteran's Day.

• Dave Schuler has a very good post, which looks at America's participation in WW1 and what that means for us today.

• In 2003, Porphyrogenitus noted that they're still pulling bodies out of Flanders' fields, almost a century later. A year later, he himself has enlisted in the U.S. military and earned the gratitude of his countrymen on this day.

• Powerline has a good set of links, from President Bush's address to personal stories of heroism and valor. Speaking of which...

• On Veteran's Day 2004, Chester came back with more suggestions for improving media coverage. If you only ever cover soldiers as victims or villains, he asks, what picture can you expect to protray? How about more stories of simple bravery and successful courage, which float around the blogosphere all the time but often don't make it to mainstream media. Case in point: how many of you have heard of Brian Chontosh? As usual, Chester has a good point.

• Kate is a military wife, and she talks about the recent deployment of her husband's best friend to Iraq. Reading it will help you understand what the home front is like for families.

• David Aaronovitch has some Remembrance Day words to ponder in Britain's Guardian Observer (Hat Tip: Instapundit). Read it, then see this 1941 Dr. Suess cartoon.

• Rev. Donald Sensing. Major Donald Sensing (ret). They're one and the same, which makes him superbly qualified to offer a Veterans Day Sermon to his congregants, a Veterans Day blog post to his brothers and sisters in arms, plus some tips on pastoral care for those suffering from combat trauma. Nice to see USMC LCpl Stephen Sensing in pictures too.

Excellence all around. To all who take time this day to remember the debt we owe, thank you.