Remembrance Day....

[farmaholic]

With all the ranting and raving, bitching and moaning, whining and complaining that I do I still need to remember it is here that I would rather live than anywhere else. It is a peaceful existence, not everything may be just, but it is peaceful. Take time to reflect today.

Take care and remember it is never so bad that it couldn't be worse.

[cottonpicken]

How many bastard krauts did your kin kill?

[cottonpicken]

Ha ha i wonder what the kin of krauts think on this day. Is it like a whoops?

[joedales]

Thanks Farmaholic,

Today I think of the hell my grandfather, Gratton Flanigan went through in the First World War. He was a member of one of the Engineering units, I remember him telling me the they were called "Pioneers"...

He never wanted to talk about it but one time my father served him a few strong rye whiskeys and I remember he said he was still afraid of the shelling and he lost a lot of good friends when they were shelled. He survived and had a great life and was a terrific grandfather.

My other vivid memory was my grandmother showing me her brother's name on the Cenotaph in Seaforth, Ontario. Lt James Horan, killed in the Somme.

I consider myself very luck to live in Canada and my prayers are with those that served and are serving us in our armed forces.

Joe

[farmaholic]

I come from German ancestry via the Black Sea region of Russia. We were out of Germany maybe a century and a half before.

There were many examples of genocide in the world before and since. Black marks in history. People, when allowed to follow their primal instincts, aren't always humane. Socialization is a learned condition not completely instinctual.

[grassfarmer]

My great aunt lost her husband in the merchant navy when the ship was sunk by a U-boat. The same week their house was flattened by Luftwaffe. She survived and lived to 91 and was the cheeriest person you'd ever meet, never seemed to have a down day or a negative thought. A great lesson in forgiveness.

[fjlip]

Great hour on TV last night about WHY genocide happens, what motivates and drives ordinary people to go along with KILLING fellow human beings. Hope it is replayed. Very sad how we can act toward each other. Basically all WAR/genocide start with an EVIL leader/government.

[perfecho]

When you see the intolerance in political leanings, ideology, etc...the next step is not very far off.
Doubt we will ever learn, for good.

[blackpowder]

I am reminded to stand behind my servicemen/women.
Also to be thankful the ocean is deep and wide.

[Guest]

just got back from service, pretty sobering .... we have a lot to be thankful for !

[Braveheart]

My Maternal Grandfather was at Vimy Ridge. He was wounded and suffered lung damage in a gas attack. I remember as a young boy Grandpa would spend weeks in the sanatorium with breathing difficulties. Lung disease eventually led to his death. He worked in the Legion Club (bar) and I'm sure the smoke in there didn't help.

My wife's uncle was killed in Germany, after liberating Holland, in the last days of the war. He was the only son, and the youngest. Nth family never really recovered. The loss changed them forever.

Leaping to present day, one my Karate classmates suffers from PTSD. He is a vet of Afghanistan. He has trouble finding employment. He is alive, and physically whole, but will never be the same as he once was.

I treasure our freedom. I do wish Canada supported our vets more though.

[farmaholic]

I was actually in a store at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. At that moment, over the store intercom was short statement regarding the significance of the day followed by the bugle call followed by the Beatles song "Imagine"..... thumbs up to the store for taking afew moments to observe what we take for granted.

[sumdumguy]

Our grandfather went to train as a bomber pilot at Yorkton at a ripe age of 20. He night bombed over Burma and India without instruments and had some of his crew killed, and still remembered their names when he was in his eighties. Luckily he came back alive as he was one of the few who survived. He came back to farm rented land and eventually bought land. We almost always had aircraft parked in our farmyard and the love of flying and farming is in our blood. We live a fortunate life because a lot of young men sacrificed for us. We remember.

[fjlip]

Also on one of the channels, an hour on the Iwo Jima battle between, US marines and Imperial Japanese. They have an annual joint remembrance day on the island to commemorate the 28000 killed from both sides.
Moving and comments that they are now friends. Japanese 90 year old and US 90 year old talking about their lives then and since. All of them want peace above all.

[fjlip]

Had two uncles involved in D Day, both survived, one wounded badly but kept hidden by French farm wife. Neither talked about much the war, not even to their own families. Very traumatic, they must have had a hard time to put the killing behind them and live their lives.

During the First war, both grandfathers were on the Austrian side against Canadians. Both survived, paternal grandfather was able to be friends with a Canadian Vet, and after discussing the war realized they were facing each other in the same battle. Glad they were not aiming at the other or poor shots. Same Canadian was Reeve of municipality and actually helped my immigrant grandparents monetarily to get settled in 1931.

Bet there are many stories out there.