Lest We Forget...

by Englishman 8 Replies latest jw friends

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  Englishman

  60 years on from D-Day. Seems like a suitable time to post this.

  Englishman

  Lest we forget....Poem by Laurence Binyon
  
  With proud thanksgiving, a mother for her children,
  England mourns for her dead across the sea.
  Flesh of her flesh they were, spirit of her spirit,
  Fallen in the cause of the free.
  
  Solemn the drums thrill: Death august and royal
  Sings sorrow up into immortal spheres.
  There is a music in the midst of desolation
  And a glory that shines upon our tears.
  
  They went with songs to the battle, they were young,
  Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.
  They were staunch to the end against odds uncountered:
  They fell with their faces to the foe.
  
  They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
  Age shall not weary them, nor the years contemn*.
  At the going down of the sun and in the morning
  We will remember them.
  
  They mingle not with their laughing comrades again;
  They sit no more at familiar tables at home;
  They have no lot in our labour of the day-time;
  They sleep beyond England's foam.
  
  But where our desires are and our hopes profound,
  Felt as a well-spring that is hidden from sight,
  To the innermost heart of their own land they are known
  As the stars are known to the Night;
  
  As the stars that shall be bright when we are dust,
  Moving in marches upon the heavenly plain;
  As the stars are starry in the time of our darkness,
  To the end, to the end they remain.

  They shall grow not old....as we that are left grow old
  Age shall not weary them, nor the years contemn*At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, we will remember them
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  ball.

  There's been some talk of bringing us in the UK in line with Europe and bring in more bank holidays. Don't you think D day should be an extra holiday as a lasting memorial even when the veterans are all gone?
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  ozziepost

  Downunder we celebrate a similar occasion on what is known as Anzac Day which commemorates the horrific battle at Gallipoli.

  This year Mrs Ozzie and I felt that we were 'ready' to join such an event and had heard of one gathering right next-door to Australia Bethel. We thought it'd be poignant to attend ----- and we did!

  Whatever we feel about war, there was no doubt in our minds that a huge sacrifice had been made by many of the men in the armed services.

  Lest We Forget.

  Ozzie
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  Big Tex

  Whatever we feel about war, there was no doubt in our minds that a huge sacrifice had been made by many of the men in the armed services.

  That sums of my feelings.
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  Celtic

  It has been an honour on occassion to meet with some service men and have a conversation with them, the sacrifices they made in behalf of the families back home, to their country and to us living today. Without there valiant and corageous efforts, life today might indeed be unrecognisable. I take my hat off to them all.

  Trebah where I was born also played it's part in the Normandy landings, it was from the beach at Trebah, upon the banks of the River Helford that many troops left these, their native shores, never to return to see this land, their families and loved ones. My first ever proper physical memory at one and a half years old was on this very same beach, with poignancy I reflect and look out to the mouth of the river and beyond, and salute those who so freely gave to others.

  May God bless all of you and for those left behind, may you reside forever in peace.
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  outnfree

  My father, a U.S. Marine, fought in the Pacific Theatre and came back alive. Many in his squadron did not. He is dead now, some 26 years, but I'm still proud of his service and humbled by the sacrifices made by all of our service men and women.

  May this D-Day anniversary remind all of us to be workers for peace and supporters of freedom wherever we are.

  outnfree
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  Mulan

  My father, a U.S. Marine, fought in the Pacific Theatre and came back alive.

  Same here, but Dad was in the Navy. Still alive, 90, and still has some memories he would rather forget, like being in the hold of the ship all night as they were being bombed, and all of the men worried about Kamikazes diving into them.
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  CeriseRose

  I had a bit of a strange experience on my journey home. My boyfriend is a US citizen and an ex-Marine (discharged due to injury). I'm Canadian and never served in what passes for our armed forces (I'm sorry, but in comparison to other 'first world' nations, ours is really not a driving force if you know what I mean...).
  
  Canadians, being relatively peaceful overall (plus with our small forces), tend to have not gotten involved in many conflicts during my lifetime. I've never thought heavily around war other than to know I don't like it (who does?). I know facts and figures (Dad was a WWII buff), and I like history so I have a good overall knowledge. I memorized "In Flander's Fields" as a child (it's still in my head today), and for the years I wasn't a JW, wore a poppy in and observed the 2 minutes of silence on Remembrance Day on November 11.
  
  While driving me home a couple days ago, we passed a military convoy just south of Seattle. We were laughing because my honey has a convertible PT Cruiser and they must have radioed up the line that we were coming because we had heads swivelling in unison to look at it (it was either that or I was looking particularly good that day and I highly doubt that...hehe). My boyfriend commented that they must be heading to Bremerton to ship out to Iraq.
  
  It was odd, because I'd seen military units in Canada, but never that large and never 'heading off to war.' I got a look at the faces of the men leaving their families behind. At my relatively tender age of 35, they looked barely old enough to -be- married, much less to be heading off to a place they could die.
  
  I disagree with war. I disagree with a lot of the politics around going to war. But seeing them really hit home that regardless of my feelings around politics or war itself, the people that do believe and do go and fight should at the very least have the respect for doing so, especially since it comes at a personal cost, the least of which is separation from their families, the greatest their own mortality.
  
  I feel ashamed at the years I didn't wear a poppy, and ignored those 2 minutes; I felt ashamed at the time of not doing it. I'm not going to ever forget that again.
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  Undaunted Danny

  55 million people perished in World War Two.10,000 or so 'International Bible students' a.k.a. Jehovah's Witnesses, died heroes resisting the Nazi's.

  But you know what? MILLIONS , of ' worldly ' heroes also died.

  The JW concentration camp internees, who died so bravely,died for a false conviction .That Christ second coming had already occurred,'invisibly' in the year 1914.This is why Hitler hated them so much,because they were citizens of another government. One that,DIDN'T EXIST.It was a Millerite lie.Undaunted Danny