Poppys, a true story

[PeeBee]

We recently had a group of techies in our office from a partner in Germany, they were here for some product training but at lunchtime one of them asked me German accent here "Pete, vat is ze meenink of ze red flower ve haf seen people vearink?" I explained that it was to remember our war dead "Ve don't haf zis thing in our country" he replied "no" said one of the others "because we lost"

[DAFFY]

I recall my Mum telling me a story about when they where stationed in Iserlohn back in '63, my dad gave a couple of german kids some war comics (I presume comics like commando) that he had picked up from the mess. That evening their rather irrate Father came knocking round spouting off that "they do not let their children read such things", my dad replied "only because you lost the bl**dy war"

[Finless]

I would have thought remembering the dead would have been important regardless of which side one was on? I didn't think there were any atrocities in WWI that were anywhere near the scale of those caused by the Nazis in the WWII?

BBC - Remembrance - The Poppy

[aclivity]

Originally Posted by Finless

I would have thought remembering the dead would have been important regardless of which side one was on?

Quite right. All sides lost in the wars, and all sides should be allowed to remember. Forgetting the past is the surest way to allow it to happen again.

[JasonP]

Originally Posted by aclivity

Quite right. All sides lost in the wars, and all sides should be allowed to remember. Forgetting the past is the surest way to allow it to happen again.

Though it does depend how they remember it. Anyone else been to the Yasukuni shrine? It's a bit of an eye opener.

Jason

[Finless]

Originally Posted by JasonP

Though it does depend how they remember it. Anyone else been to the Yasukuni shrine? It's a bit of an eye opener.

Jason

Just changing tack slightly, I watched a couple of programs on the first atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. There was, still visible, the position where someone sat and was obliterated literally scorched into the stone steps. That was a pretty graphinc reminder of the end of one soul during the war.

[Scubee]

The Poppy and Remeberance SUnday aren't just about WWI or WWII. They are about all our dead in all conflicts. The British Legion help families of all servicemen and women. There was an item on the local news yesterday about how they have helped a widow of a soldier killed on his way to work. She would only be eligible for a reduced pension (crazy, I know). The British Legion assisted her with allsorts. She was apparently surprised that they were prepared to help her at all.

Not surprising, that the Germans don't mark Remberance Day in the same way that we do. After all, it is the British Legion that co-ordinates the sale of poppies and the use of the money raised.

Anyway, it reminded me of a poem I had to learn at school, back in the days where we had chapel on Sunday and someone had to read lessons. It brings a very uncomfortable lump to my throat.

Here is a link to it on the net...

Dulce Et Decorum est

[turbanator]

IIRC, the Germany chose one wreck to commemorate all of it's sailors lost at sea, perhaps they choose to remember differently than us.

Winning or losing does affect your perspective, after all we don't really celebrate the 4th July.

For me, it's implicit that we remember all the dead as Aclivity says; unfotunately we don't seem to be learning as we are generating more war dead daily

[Finless]

Originally Posted by Scubee

The Poppy and Remeberance SUnday aren't just about WWI or WWII. They are about all our dead in all conflicts. The British Legion help families of all servicemen and women.

Of course. Should have made it clearer. The poppy is specifically to with the fileds of Flanders where so many died during WWI.

[MarkP]

Originally Posted by JasonP

Though it does depend how they remember it. Anyone else been to the Yasukuni shrine? It's a bit of an eye opener.

Now I know that Wikipedia is not a verified source, also that victors' version of history will often differ from the losers', but if half the "controversy" section is true and the picture isn't a fake, then it is truly scary.

Personally, I think that Robert Graves' "Goodbye To All That" should be translated into every language and made compulsory reading for all thirteen year olds. Then again at 20. And 30, 40 and 50.

Remembrance is essential, for all nations.