Remembrance Day

[blanche]

Seemed appropriate to put this here.  My favourite song and video memorializing a moment during WW1

Christmas in the Trenches.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9coPzDx6tA" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9coPzDx6tA</a>

[Jeanne]

The WWI Christmas in the trenches stories I grew up with were from my grandfather and great grandfather.

My great grandfather 'Dick' (1895-1987) was in Scotland.  He got shot in the 'arse' and had haggis for dinner.

My grandfather 'Clarence' (1890-1968) was in a trench and was hit by the gas of a mustard bomb.  He lost every hair on his body from this.

Clarence passed away when I was not quite 4 so I didn't get to know him very well.  I knew Dick as he lived close by and I saw him about once a week and for all the holidays.  I remember him taking out his dentures at the dinner table to the delight of my sister and I, receiving his pocket change (shhhhh....) and driving around in his olive green Valiant.

[lmcpug]

Jeanne,

 those are such great memories

I had an uncle who was killed in WW2 on my father's side.
But no stories.
My father was a Korean War Vet and no stories either.
He said his stories would only horrify us and to be honest,
after finding an old photo album, of his, from that period in his
life, he was truly correct.
The photos are extremely graffic and showcases the
extreme darkside of humanity during wartime.
The North Koreans were truly masters at debasing all that is good.

[Anna]

My Great Grandfather was on WWI.  He was the first Canadian ambulance driver to drive in the front during the war.  He had such a good time that he didn't come home for about five years after the war ended.  Two Great Uncle were in WWII, one of them in the navy.  His job was to man a fake gun on the half built warships that were built partly in Canada and then sent to England to finish, with fake balsa wood decks and guns.  And while one of my Grandfathers was in Canada and constantly denied the chance to enlist (he had a protected job making bombs for Lancaster Bombers, but tried to enlist anyway three times), my other Grandfather was a clergyman and in charge of a bomb shelter during the blitz, while my Grandmother was a secretary in the British Admiralty and had crazy fast short hand and was used to write secret memos, etc.

Remembrance Day means a lot to us.

Lest we forget 

[Candace]

We will have a service, at school. They are always very well done. There have been a number of discussions and work around this subject.
I have personal stories as well. Luckily, all my family members survived. It is very hard for my one remaining relative to talk about his experiences. They bring him to tears everytime.
Here is another video
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYlrrAWCTRg" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYlrrAWCTRg</a>