1100, 11/11/18

[onejayhawk]

On the eleventh hour, of the eleventh day, of the eleventh month...

In less than two weeks, we will observe the centennial of the signing of the Armistice that ended the Great War, more recently called World War I. This is a larger event in France and England than in USA, but even here it is the official day to honor living veterans of foreign wars. Are you doing anything in particular to commemorate the event?

J

 

[rah]

Besides sleeping in, no plans yet. Since we were bought by a French Company, we now get the day off. Viva and all that crap.

 

[Cutlass]

Me and a friend try to visit national historical sites in the region.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

As with every year, I will be watching TV coverage of the Remembrance Day ceremonies from the National War Memorial in Ottawa. I expect there will be extra programming this year due to it being the centennial of the end of WWI, with a bit more emphasis on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. It's become the unofficial custom on Remembrance Day for the general public to lay their poppies on the tomb after the conclusion of the official ceremony.

It's inappropriate to say that Canadians "celebrate" Remembrance Day or to wish us "Happy Remembrance Day." It's not a celebration. It's an observance, a day when we perform the Act of Remembrance, and honor those who served and continue to serve, whether in war or in peacekeeping duties.

 

[Zkribbler]

I've always been somewhat peeved at Congress for hijacking the day we remember our honored dead and giving it to our living veterans, who admittedly do deserve their own date.

There's neither military cemetery nor battlefield around here. I might slip some war movies into the DVD...maybe The Great Raid, marking the heroic rescue by American rangers and Filipino guerillas of survivors of the Bataan Death March.

 

[FriendlyFire]

Generally in schools in australia, as well as select places like RSL, local pub would observe a 1 min of silence at exactly 11:11am
We have ANZAC Day which is the equivalent of memorial day a public holiday which encompasses all wars, our last ww1 veteran has pass away and with it a receding into history of the important of the great war

 

[AdrienIer]

I'll read about what the ceremonies will be like before deciding what to do. They changed the schedule already : they had planned something celebrating the "maréchaux" of the great war, but that includes Pétain, so they cancelled it.

 

[elmurcis]

That day 99 years ago was day our small country won battle for capital city, holding it from attacking force and counter-attacking at night (and overall - for independence it declared year before). Most likely will go in some torch walk to give honour to this.

 

[warpus]

I observe each Remembrance Day in my own personal way. Try to remember what happened so that I can contribute to helping it never happening again

 

[Valka D'Ur]

I observe each Remembrance Day in my own personal way. Try to remember what happened so that I can contribute to helping it never happening again

 

[onejayhawk]

We are starting to see articles on the centennial.

It was a hopeful time, but very different from 1945. There was a clear loser but no clear winner. Much has been made of the Treaty of Versailles, but the real problem is that no one could enforce it.

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/a...f_the_11th_month_--_100_years_ago_138588.html

J

 

[EgonSpengler]

Has anyone here seen They Shall Not Grow Old? It had a one-night showing in the UK in October. A 10-second look at Google doesn't reveal a wider release schedule, yet. This weekend seems like it would be a no-brainer, but I don't see anything about it.

 

[Silurian]

Its not being shown in my town but it is on in the next town on Sunday.

 

[really]

In Ireland we traditionally argue over wearing poppies at this time of the year.

 

[rah]

For some reason, I read that as wearing puppies.

 

[onejayhawk]

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.​

John McCrae

 

[Senethro]

Starting to feel very ambiguous about the day in recent years due to poppy cultists. They seem way too "dulce et decorum est" but without Owen's irony. It was imperialist violence on a unprecedented scale with the careless waste of citizen lives for each nations war machine. The soldiers were betrayed by their callous governments and to remember them as glorious heroes is to ask for it to happen again.

 

[Lexicus]

The soldiers were betrayed by their callous governments and to remember them as glorious heroes is to ask for it to happen again.

Militarism actually nauseates me for this reason.

World War I is one thing the Communists were unambiguously right about.

so they cancelled it.

Ah, glad "they" came to their senses on that one.

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.​

John McCrae

I prefer Where Have All the Flowers Gone.

 

[Akka]

Besides sleeping in, no plans yet. Since we were bought by a French Company, we now get the day off. Viva and all that crap.

I will always remember the time where my previous company was bought by a German one, and at some time they planned a meeting, and asked around "okay, se we all agree for 10 in the morning on the 11th in the month ?". We were in november.

Cue to the awkward silence while everyone was waiting someone else to tell them "well, you know, we can't, 'cause it's a holyday to celebrate the date we kicked your arses in war"

 

[HoloDoc]

I will always remember the time where my previous company was bought by a German one, and at some time they planned a meeting, and asked around "okay, se we all agree for 10 in the morning on the 11th in the month ?". We were in november.

Cue to the awkward silence while everyone was waiting someone else to tell them "well, you know, we can't, 'cause it's a holyday to celebrate the date we kicked your arses in war"

Did you inform them through the magic of song?

"My grandpa killed your grandpa, doo-dah, doo-dah, my grandpa killed your grandpa, oh-di-doo-dah-day.