[hwhap]

I attended our Remembrance Day ceremonies yesterday and was pleased to see more people in attendance than in some years past. The weather was beautiful with the sun shining.

Opposite our War Memorial is a little park, where a few of the "Occupy" movement which has spread to so many cities, have erected tents. I scrambled up on a pillar where I could get a good view, and ended up having a conversation with a chatty young man who talked about how the drill of the local police force wasn't nearly as good as the RCMP. He had been in cadets and talked about how he would "ream out" the cadets if their drill wasn't up to snuff. It turns out he was one of the "Occupiers".

Lately it seems that anyone who wants to get on their soapbox and get on TV will go to these ceremonies and walk up to the area where the microphones and cameras and start interrupting the proceedings. So I was afraid that this tiny group of "Occupiers" would use the Remembrance Day ceremonies as an opportunity to get before the cameras. When a lady started walking up to the front holding a sign over her head, I thought "Oh here we go". But it turns out her sign was about wanting custody of her kids! The police chief took her aside and chatted with her, and she finally left. The media surrounded her immediately but when it became clear she wasn't there to make a political statement and it was just personal, they all left her, and I notice she never did appear on TV in the end.

And I was glad to see that the Occupiers didn't use this event to promote their cause as well.

This post has been edited by hwhap: 12 November 2011 - 07:34 AM

[appell8]

Vee, thanks for the vignette. And, more generally, good to hear from you.

[AQuaker]

So glad to hear that one person did not spoil an event that has nothing to do with politics or child custody for that matter. The Occupiers here have raised some valid points, but they do need to get organized if they are going to continue getting their message out. Like how you folks call it Remembrance Day...kind of like Memorial Day.

[hwhap]

appell8, on 12 November 2011 - 07:50 AM, said:

Vee, thanks for the vignette. And, more generally, good to hear from you.

:)

Oh, I'm still around.

Vee

[hwhap]

AQuaker, on 12 November 2011 - 10:42 AM, said:

So glad to hear that one person did not spoil an event that has nothing to do with politics or child custody for that matter. The Occupiers here have raised some valid points, but they do need to get organized if they are going to continue getting their message out. Like how you folks call it Remembrance Day...kind of like Memorial Day.

Which leads me to ask, why are there two days in the U.S. Veterams' Day and Memorial Day? Does each one focus on something different?

Vee

[Frenchie]

Hi Vee,
Good to hear from you. I hope you're fine.

In France, November 11th is a bank holiday.

[AQuaker]

Originally Memorial Day, which started in 1868 in some states, was designed to recognize soldiers who died from both Union and Confederate sides. In the North, it was a more important holiday than in the south who did not honor the holiday until after WWI when the holiday officially changed to recognize all soldiers who died in any war. It is celebrated every year on the last Monday in May. Nowadays, it marks the beginning of the summer season at the beach.

Veterans Day came about in 1926 when Congress experienced a moment of clarity and passed a resolution recognizing the end of hostilities that took place on Nov. 11th. In 1938, it became a legal holiday dedicated to the cause of world peace and was known as Armistice Day. This changed in 1954, when Congress responded positively to the requests of Veterans and changed it to Veteran's Day.

hwhap, on 12 November 2011 - 10:01 PM, said:

Which leads me to ask, why are there two days in the U.S. Veterams' Day and Memorial Day? Does each one focus on something different?

Vee

[homefront41]

Vee, Another of our Canadian members (Mark Bore) asked the same question way back when, I recall. I posted this at that time:

http://forums.wildbi...dpost__p__34498

Every year, twice a year, I provide a little history to all the young people I work with, hoping to broaden their context of a day off from work.

I was happy to see that we at least here in San Francisco has a itty-bitty Veterans Day parade. It ain't dead quite yet.

Nice to see you, Vee. I'm still around, too, though way under the radar! Best, BK

[hwhap]

Thanks Shelia and BK for the history lessons.

Nathalie, Remembrance Day is a holiday here too. Unlike some holidays which are moved to the nearest Monday, Remembrance Day is always kept on Nov 11th. All the stores are closed, and eveyone is off work. We have a minute silence at 11 o'clock.

Vee

[Frenchie]

Hi Vee,
I like the idea of the minute of silence at 11.
Nowadays, big stores and commercial precincts are open though.

[Le Paradis]

If anyone would like to access sound files for their workplace for future Remembrance Day purposes, the Australian Dept of Veterans Affairs has both the Last Post and Reveille as mp3 files that can be downloaded. I did this and used the files to play over the workplace PA system, at 11am on the 11th of the 11th, 2011.



see
Last Post mp3 file link


Please note that on this web page, there are access links to lots of other useful materials, such as poems, 'Ode to the Fallen', etc.




hope this helps.





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