November 11th

This post is a little late, for which I apologize. November 11th is Remberance Day, in my opinion one of the most important holidays on our calendar. While I'm largely anti-war, the importance of some conflicts cannot be understated: without the sacrifices of our forefathers in some past conflicts, we wouldn't enjoy the lives that we have now. We should bow our heads and remember those who gave their lives (both literally, and those who returned broken) for what we have today.

My great-grandfather (on my father's side) fought through most of World War I, in the thick of the fighting. WWI may have been largely preventable, unnecessarily bloody, etc. - but it laid the backbone for the transition to the modern system of European organization. His sacrifice (he survived, with only minor injuries - but even sixty years later his anguish when remembering the war was evident) is one to remember with pride. My grandfather (on my mother's side) was Royal Air Force ground-crew in Africa, World War II. He had many fond memories of events in the war, but nobody could deny what he went through to defeat the Axis.

Noncombatants deserve recognition, too. My grandmother served in the Land Army A friend of my mother's told me harrowing tales about surviving Auschwitz. Their contributions may have been small, but were also important. We should remember both the tail and the teeth.

Unfortunately, none of the people I've mentioned in this post are still with us. Increasingly, there are very few veterans of either World War to share their experiences. That places a responsibility on us to share the memories, good and bad, with the younger generations. It also leaves us with a deep responsibility to enjoy the freedoms we have by voting, campaigning, and continuing to work for a better world.

Mood: tired
Music: New Model Army - Family