Armistice Day

[Andy Zarse]

Just to remember today those who gave their lives that we may live in freedom.

June 2004 is the 60 th annivarsary of the D Day and the beginning of the liberation of Europe, which I always feel is especially poignant to us as Le Manners.

[mgmark]

Thanks for the thought - lots of people did, so that people like us enjoy the things we do in the way we do them today.......

[Kpy]

Indeed.
 
I have been to visit our local war grave - two lads of 19 and 22 killed in a Lancaster in July 1944. Left flowers for them as I do each year on 11/11 and on the anniversary of their death.
We must not forget them.

[mgmark]

kpy,

       As one with rather more than a passing interest in the uniform that they wore (my day job for the last 26 years means that I wear the modern day equivalent) I am touched - thank you for remembering them in the way that you do.

Mark

[Kpy]

The pilot (all of 22 years old)'s grave bears the inscription

            Oh for the touch of a vanished hand,
            and the sound of a voice that is still!

How can I ignore that?

[Fax]

Just a thought guys.  Next time your pissing & moaning about Americans, their presence at Le Mans and the state of their beer, spare a moment for the thousands of them who fought & gave their lives (my relatives included) chasing the Germans out of the rest of Europe & Africa.
Fax

Small edits made to remove potential offence.

Please, no-one turn this serious thread into a political discussion.

[Fax]

Sorry Smokie, didn't mean to offend anyone.  Its Veteran's Day here in the US and Remembrance Day in Canada.  Does this mean you'll edit out "*****" as well?

Yep  

[Steve Pyro]

For those outside of the UK (thanks to Ananova) :-

Queen honours Australian war dead

The Queen has marked Armistice Day by honouring Australian troops who died fighting alongside the British in two world wars.

With Australia's Prime Minister John Howard, she unveiled an Australian War Memorial at London's Hyde Park Corner commemorating the 102,000 Australians who gave their lives in both wars.

The silent tribute was ended by an RAF flypast of Jaguars from 57 Squadron. The Queen, in her capacity as Queen of Australia, said Australians had stood side-by-side with the British during the wars.

Prime Minister Tony Blair said the bond between the two countries remained as strong as ever, with military forces continuing to work together. "The Australian forces served with remarkable honour and exemplary bravery," said Mr Blair.

Australia's Prime Minister John Howard said his country was tied to Britain by victory, an enduring belief in human dignity and democracy. "Armies no longer march across borders," he said. "In this new century aggression was finding its form in attacks of indiscriminate terrorism inspired by distorted faith."

The green-grey granite memorial, fashioned from stone quarried in Western Australia, takes the form of a curved wall bearing the battle names and some 24,000 cities, hometowns and suburbs from which the Australian servicemen and women came.

[Robbo SPS]

Today i with the others i work with put the flag to half mast for 2 mins at 11 am

I like the others, think of everyone involved, French resistance to Indian and americans fighters .

I was very proud 4 years ago to meet a bus load of Canadian vets, because had it not been for our previous generations, We would all be driving Trabants

Serious point though , Thank YOU.

[Canada Phil]

Sharing thoughts here. My daughter with her class from school represented the Youth of Canada at the Menin Gate in Ypres Belgium.
Canada Phil

[gibberish]

Sharing thoughts here. My daughter with her class from school represented the Youth of Canada at the Menin Gate in Ypres Belgium.
Canada Phil

The sheer number of names on the Menin Gate makes you feel inadequate.

[skorpio]

Just to remember today those who gave their lives that we may live in freedom.

June 2004 is the 60 th annivarsary of the D Day and the beginning of the liberation of Europe, which I always feel is especially poignant to us as Le Manners.

----------------------------------

 let's also remember that the sunday prior to Le Mans '04 is the 60th anniversary of the actual landings  
 I'm going over on the 6th and have personal reasons to lay a wreath at 1 of the war cemetaries near Ouistreham   .................................  then to continue on to Le Mans itself.. . . . .

[Dave H]

As a link to Le Mans: for several years we would hook-up with a bunch of looney Germans (all roofers if I remember correctly) who would thunder across to Le Mans in their motorhome.  We'd find each other over the weekend and have a really good piss-up, firework nightmare and general semi-communicative time.  The event and the beer made the piss poor German and relatively piss poor English spoken much less important than it otherwise may have been.

I remember the year of the 50th D-Day anniversary (I guess 94) standing with a Warsteiner in my hand and thinking that this was what those men died for.  So that a bunch of guys from those 2 countries could be friends and free.  Brought it home to me on a personal level.

[Fax]

Dave,
Remember those German guys who were camped across from us in Houx in '02?  Lovely bunch, had a hell of a time convincing them that I'm a Yank but they were a great bunch of guys.  However that breakfast witches brew that they gave me on Sat. morning left my head spinning for about an hour.
John

[Canada Phil]

Hi Skorpio, I am debating the same to visit JUNO beach. What if any research of accomodation have you done? I am wondering if the whole area will be swamped because of the 60th anniversary?
Canada Phil