Red poppies

In my opinion not enough is done to educate people about why we have a rememberance day. I certainly can't remember much being mentioned about it at school. I'm afraid that we are constantly bombarded by 'glorified' images of war are many people don't realise the true horror and misery. It annoys and saddens me whe work colleagues don't observe the silence or see it as an excuse to read the paper or whatever. I for one genuinely think about it, about my great uncle who died in the first world war and has no grave and all the others like him. This year will be the first time I actually attend a rememberance parade. My new partner is in the TA and has done tours in Iraq and Bosnia. I will be thinking of her too.

I think alot of people buy poppies just for the sake of it and don't know the full story behind it's true meaning, it should be better documented in schools and parents alike to tell there off spring what people have put themselves through over the years.
Even more so for both world wars as people were conscripted and made too join up to fight for a cause, i'm not taking anything away from the service men and women of today as it's a job they've chosen to do and i have much admiration for them, i'm buggered if you'd get me out in the Helman province (sp)

Does anybody give a second thought for the other nationalities that also lost thier lives?
A quote from Harry Patch, Britains oldest surviving war veteran

Patch, who lives in a care home in Wells, Somerset, is the second oldest person in Britain and is the last surviving British soldier to have served in the third battle of Ypres, the battle of Passchendaele, in which more than 70,000 British troops died. He said: "It's important that we remember the war dead on both sides of the line - the Germans suffered the same as we did.
"I don't feel that I am anything special. They all ought to have been here today."

Very humbling from a man who's probably seen more death than 50% of the population.
He has recently had a book published telling of his exploits in the trenches, "The last fighting tommy" he has been quoted as saying he has never got over it, living with nightmare images for over 90 years, he is a true hero (as are all serving and ex serving memebers of the forces)
A very compelling read and very humbling, it makes you sit back and take stock of your own life.
exert taken from his book

What really gets on my t!ts is the knit your own sandal brigade who sit next to these poppy sellers and try to berate them saying it's all wrong, i've witnessed this once (wanted to drag them round the corner and beat the living daylights out of them) but read about it on many occasions.
Do these idiots not realise what people have sacrificed over the years?

And like you ed, i too usually buy about 3/4 as i tend too lose them

Although I've bought one every year for as long as I can recall, usually with whatever loose change I've had in my pocket. This year is the first year that I've purposely sought out and purchased one with a respectable contribution, I've lost it already. Whether or not one agrees with the political reasons for sending soldiers into combat, these men and women do so in the sure knowledge that there is a very high possibility of death or permanent debilitating personal injury. This makes them true heroes IMO.

Earlier this year I had the opportunity to visit some of the second world war battlefields. We visited Omaha beach. We arrived during low tide, and I deliberately went right to the waters edge and looked back inland. To walk quickly across that sand in full leathers isn’t easy, to have to run across it soaking wet, with full battle kit, and get shot at is the scariest thing I can think of

I always get through about two or three each year, and will wear it with pride. I have one friend who is in 1 Para, another who is ex-1 Para, and several more who have served in the different services (including a very, very gentle giant who was a Royal Marine).
I know why the 11th of the 11th is important, but as a society we still do not seem to learn these lessons.

On a slight de-rail, I am appalled by Billerical council's U-turn in putting a plaque up for the Mother and Daughter who died in the tube bombings on the towns War Memorial. I have no problem in a plaque in their memory, but shouldn't it be at the station that they lost their lives, and not on a memorial to those who gave up their lives so we could live freely?
To me it feels like it is dishonouring 'The Few'

[timwilky]

I give into the tyke gene on my mothers side and get out the one I bought 10 years ago. Still looking good despite the pin rusting a bit now.


Seriously, the ex servicemen/women who this country have abandoned over the last 50+ years deserve more. Not just those who served in the 2 world wars but every other squabble including those that never officially happened.

I like to make sure I have a poppy on me for aslong as I can make it last. I used to work for st dunstans, care home for the sight impaired ex-service men. It was humbling, those guys gave up alot so I could have freedom, and for that I am very gratefull.....not only to them though, also to the current bunch of service men who are there to defend us all if anything should threaten our way of life (ok, i appreciate there could be another whoooole argument there...). You know what I mean, you know what I;m saying. All you guys in the forces, cheers

[dizzyblonde]

I buy poppies every year. For the last couple of years the same 'elderly chap' stands in Asda raising money selling them. I get them from him, don't know why...just do. I tell my little lad who is 6 why we buy poppies, while I buy them.

Both my grandads served through WW2. First grandad died many years ago, but he served on HMS Hood. He was on land duty when the Hood went down, he lost many, many of his friends that day, he never ever spoke about it...it obviously hurt very much. Second grandad died a couple of years back, I'm not sure what his part in it all was but I do know he used to fix a lot of tanks and motorbikes, if he hadn't have been serving in Germay when it finished he wouldn't have met my gran, and brought her back to this country. Shes German, but her family lost a very big farm in East Prussia (as it was then)to the Russians...they never got back wht was rightly theirs.

Poppy day rememberance is important in our family, its why I educate my son about it....so he doesn't forget ..... ever

Originally Posted by cuffy

What really gets on my t!ts is the knit your own sandal brigade who sit next to these poppy sellers and try to berate them saying it's all wrong, i've witnessed this once (wanted to drag them round the corner and beat the living daylights out of them) but read about it on many occasions.
Do these idiots not realise what people have sacrificed over the years?

Politicians are the worst. They all buy poppies, then spend all their time in the commons trying to strip us of the freedom those soldiers suffered horribly to protect.

That said, the general populace always seems happy to let them, so perhaps we're all terrible hypocrites.

I took part as a member of the ATC in the memorial services and parades.. It is something I do take vary serioulsy and I use the minutes silence to pray for those who have died past and present and thier famillies.

Its something I find important.

Originally Posted by Flamin_Squirrel

Politicians are the worst. They all buy poppies...

There's a good chance they didn't dig into their own pockets, probably bought for them by their private secretary.