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Cathy E. Posts: 8474 Joined: 15th Aug 2008 Location: USA | quotePosted at 15:42 on 9th November 2008 Thanks Harry for sharing all of your poetry with us. I find them very moving! Sure hope you are doing okay these days. Think of you often!! |
Sue H Posts: 8172 Joined: 29th Jun 2007 Location: USA | quotePosted at 16:37 on 9th November 2008 A couple of links of people we can remember on November 11th. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/somerset/7718690.stm http://www.thisisoxfordshire.co.uk/news/3830228._Honour_flier_who_led_the_way_/ |
L Posts: 5656 Joined: 10th Jun 2004 Location: UK | quotePosted at 17:11 on 9th November 2008 My mum's best friend from her days in the Army during WW2 had a husband who went away to war and came back a broken man after being in a Jap prisoner of war camp for many years. Like many men, he never saw his daughter from when she was born until she was about 6 years old. He never once talked of his time in there, right up until the day he died a few years ago. He took it all with him to the grave. Many must have felt this way, too painful memories. |
Sue H Posts: 8172 Joined: 29th Jun 2007 Location: USA | quotePosted at 17:18 on 9th November 2008 Yes Lyn, I have seen this over and over again when meeting people who have fought in both wars. Once, my friend and I happened upon a drunk. He'd fallen to the ground, blood coming from his mouth and head, and of course he had urinated over himself. It was a sad sight, but we were moved with compassion for him. We helped him up and he indicated that he lived close, so we helped him home. He kept saying 'I didn't mean to kill him, I didn't mean to kill him', it was a bit scary. And then when we had him settled in his house, and cleaned him up, he told us about a young German lad his had bayoneted during the war, how he was just a typical boy like himself, but he said 'it was him or me'. I will never forget that man, and never judge him for his sorry state. Just your typical lad asked to do the unthinkable, to kill. So sad, so very sad! |
L Posts: 5656 Joined: 10th Jun 2004 Location: UK | quotePosted at 17:21 on 9th November 2008 It's all sad Sue, such a waste of life, but I dread to think what the world would be like now if they never risked their lives for us, brave men all of them! and the women too....the Land Girls here, they kept the country fed and running while the men were at war. Recognition goes to them too! |
Sue H Posts: 8172 Joined: 29th Jun 2007 Location: USA | quotePosted at 17:24 on 9th November 2008 Our freedom come at great expense. The lives of innocent, good people on both sides. |
Posts: Joined: 1st Jan 1970 | Lovely poems Wolf and Harry. Both world wars cost the lives of millions upon millions of people. We won our peace but it came through blood and suffering on all sides. My Irish grandfather used to say that the leaders of warring nations should go into a field somewhere and fight it out between themselves. I think he had a point. |
Ruth Gregory Posts: 8072 Joined: 25th Jul 2007 Location: USA | quotePosted at 03:22 on 10th November 2008 Harry - another beautiful poem, as usual. Thank you for posting it.
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Ruth Gregory Posts: 8072 Joined: 25th Jul 2007 Location: USA | quotePosted at 03:28 on 10th November 2008 I took the following picture at the war memorial just outside York Minster. It's not the greatest of photos, quality-wise, but the discussion on this thread brings it to mind. Something we will never forget.... if only we could learn the lesson we should be taking from it. Picture by Ruth Gregory You may have to open it up to full screen size to read the inscription. Very moving.
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Ruth Gregory Posts: 8072 Joined: 25th Jul 2007 Location: USA | quotePosted at 03:35 on 10th November 2008 When we were in England last year on Nov. 11, the TV news was doing a lot of stories about Remembrance Day throughout England and one of them mentioned that there are over 60,000 war memorials in cities, towns and villages throughout England. Here is a simple and elegant one photographed by Peggy Cannell. Picture by Peggy Cannell
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