Veterans Day

**Zerobanshee** · 11-12-2010, 12:24 PM

I know that Veterans Day was yesterday, but I wanted to see how everyone celebrated this memorable day in our history. Did you spend time with your family, go see a parade, I'm curious.
To me, this was my first Veterans Day as a member of the Armed Forces, and it was also one of the most memorable. I spent the day with my friends and shipmates, helping out around the Base, then in the afternoon we had dinner with a group of Veterans. We sat and listened to their war stories, and had the privilege to sit beside them. One thing I will never forget, when the Veterans stood to leave, we rose to our feet, and shook their hands, telling them how honored we was to be in their presence. They looked at us, and shook their heads, telling us how proud they was of us choosing to relieve them, to join the military to serve our Nation.

**Josh_R** · 11-12-2010, 12:48 PM

We had a giant dinner last night for all the men and women on Fort Knox. It was epic. It was a good ol time with friends and family. Definitely something I will always remember.

**Rocky** · 11-12-2010, 01:43 PM

I celebrated by having the school day off, which was nice. Otherwise, nothing out of the ordinary happened up here. It got really cold though <_>

**CloudvsLightning** · 11-12-2010, 03:19 PM

Ceremony at school followed by the usually minute of silence at 11:00 where some people were rude enough to talk and laugh while the trumpet played

and supporting the Legion by entering an art contest and buying a poppy. All which is really quite ordinary.

**Tallulah** · 11-12-2010, 03:42 PM

It's known as Rememberance Day or Armistice Day in Europe, and is also marked on the Sunday after the 11th.

There was a mini-service at St Benedict's church war memorial in the high street; pretty much everyone about at the time stopped there to pay their respects. I was passing through on the way back from the council office, so stopped for a while. There was a veteran from every section of the British Armed Forces raising a standard to the Last Post.

It was all very emotional. It always brings a lump to my throat.

**Robbo** · 11-12-2010, 03:58 PM

Hear it was usuall things gathering in town centres and spending to the 2 minutes silence in unison. Although in london it was a different story a group of muslim extremeists help up a banner saying "British Soldiers Burn In Hell" and then they burned a poppy this was an utter disgrace they are allowed to live in britain and treat our traditions in such a way is despicalbe .

**Sasquatch** · 11-13-2010, 11:15 AM

Originally Posted by Squall~Dissidia

Although in london it was a different story a group of muslim extremeists help up a banner saying "British Soldiers Burn In Hell" and then they burned a poppy this was an utter disgrace they are allowed to live in britain and treat our traditions in such a way is despicalbe .

The second time I mobilized, on the last day of home station before going to the base we mobilized out of, we had one protester outside our drill hall holding a sign that said "war is not the answer". I suggested being "funny" and having one of us, in uniform, stand next to him and hold a sign that said "yes it is" (or "in some cases it is", or "but it's a good guess"). But one of my men brought the subject into proper context by suggesting another sign -- we should, either one at a time or as an entire group, stand next to this protester and hold a sign with an arrow pointing to him that simply would have said, "I give him this right." And he was right.

That's the thing with protesting, flag burning, stuff like that -- on one hand, I think a lot of the people that rejoice over the deaths of American/Coalition soldiers should simply be pounded to a bloody pulp, then have their citizenship revoked and sent to the countries we're in so that they can live how they want the people there to never be freed from living. On the other hand, we fight for their freedom to protest what and how they like. So I guess I wouldn't have a problem if something bad happens to them, as long as it isn't condoned by our government.

As for Veteran's Day ... a lot of us simply held our own personal thoughts and ceremonies. Some prayed, though they never do otherwise. Some had a short, somber moment of silence, though they might never shut up otherwise. But whatever we did that day, we did it for the same reason we do everything else on every other day.

**Jin** · 11-13-2010, 05:32 PM

Not that anyone specifically was, but let's be careful not confuse protesters in general with flag burners and their ilk. Being against the politics of a specific war does necessarily mean that one is disrespectful towards the soldiers fighting it or towards soldiers in general.

Anyways, I don't usually do anything for Remembrance day. I usually just take some time to contemplate the nature of soldiering and its relationship to the state and our culture. Not that I can presume to fully contemplate something that one has to partake in to truly understand, but I do my best. And usually I'll wear a poppy.

**Tiffany** · 11-13-2010, 07:01 PM

This was the first remembrance day that we didn't go to the parade on Base nor go to the Warrant & Sargents Mess Hall afterwards for refreshments. My guy's Dad was in the Service Corps, and he was always the one to lay the wreath on behalf of them at Parade.

Normally we'd go to the Service Corps Cenotaph and place our poppies on the wreath there, but my guy had to work that day and we weren't able to go.

Next year, we will.

**Halie** · 11-14-2010, 07:57 AM

I went to a parade today to watch my boyfriend march with his cadet detachment. It was actually quite moving. They all laid their reefs in the Cenitaf. T'was nice.

I didn't do much on the 11th, but we did have our 2 minutes of silence, and had an assembly in school for it, too. But other than that I didn't do much...