Only History Could Help Us

[labelwench]

With Remembrance Day less than a week away, and young men from many nations away in Afghanistan, the world is full of reminders that history has a sad way of repeating itself.

A musical tribute for all those who have gone on ahead of us.

The small town featured in this production is the first town outside the UK which our service men and women who have died overseas pass when they leave the RAF base they are flown into.

For a long time many people from all over the UK make a pilgrimage to pay their respects as the funeral hearse passes along the High Street in Wooton Bassett. This mark of respect has gained much significance and notoriety here in the UK. This tribute is just lovely to watch and listen to.

http://media.causes.com/844493?share...0d4df7&s=email

[labelwench]

.Veterans' benefits to be touted at demonstration
Last Updated: Thursday, October 21, 2010 | 10:45 AM NT Comments6Recommend7.
CBC News
Canada's treatment of disabled veterans will be the focus of a protest at the War Memorial in downtown St. John's, just a few days before Remembrance Day.

The Nov. 6 demonstration is part of Veterans National Day of Protest.

'What's coming to light is the government is not taking care of them, and really to me it's been the same old story since the First World War.'
—Jeff Rose-MartlandWriter Jeff Rose-Martland, who is organizing the St. John's protest, said he is outraged that Canadian veterans do not receive the benefits that they need.

"As Canadians I think we all just kind of expect, well you know, they signed up with the government, the government's going to take care of them and everything is going to be fine," Rose-Martland told CBC News.

"What's coming to light is the government is not taking care of them, and really to me it's been the same old story since the First World War."

Rose-Martland, who is spearheading an online campaign called Our Duty, is not a veteran himself, but has felt motivated to work on their behalf. The Nov. 6 protest is scheduled at start at 11 a.m.

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/newfoundlan...#ixzz14XJ6lJJw

[racecar]

My husband, a U.S. Army veteran, feels very fortunate. His benefits and medical care has been excelent. My Grandmother who lost her first husband to WWII never sought death benefits because she re-married. Many years and two husbands later she was still eligible for his death benefits...which she applied for and received. I'm sorry it's a different story for others, in the U.S. and Canada.

[RascalPuff]

As of 11/6/09, the Army psychiatrist, Nidal Malik Hason, has not only killed and wounded dozens of people at Fort Hood, Texas Army Base, he has cast another ominous shadow on what was already - since 9/11 - a very controversial issue; reintroducing fragile questions, including religious undertones - as they relate to (well intended and otherwise motivated) Muslims in America, and activating questions regarding America's motive(s) for armed presence in the Middle East.
Very unfortunately, this appears to be a pejorative problem, for which there is no easy solution. Vets and apolitical citizens are being blamed - and are suffering and dying for - questionable executive policy. The unreliably reported lessons of Vietnam, and the failed - eight year - Russian Expedition into Afghanistan enter this foreboding incumbency. Constitutionally fortified issues of Free Speech are being compromised - displaced with citizen fear of government (and qualified elements of the 'Homeland Security' and 'Patriot' acts: which nullify the former requirement for a judge's order to tap telephones, and void 'due cause' for satellite reconnaissance directed upon law abiding citizens. Rogue gvt. did obtain these constitutional transgressions by way of the occurrence of the World Trade Center attacks ).
Excersizing fundamental American Principles of Free Speech has evolved into grounds for suspicion of 'terrorism'. The cost and consequences of American Armed Forces in the Middle East is escalating on many fronts which are a challenge to American Constitutional mainstays and domestic tranquility.
Caveat: America cannot be conquered from the outside, but, she can - and may - be compromised from within.

I very sincerely hope I am wrong about this, but, I think we are far from seeing the resolve of this convuluted dilemma. I am an American born veteran, sworn to defend the Constitution of the United States from all her enemies, be they foreign or domestic, whomsoever. Incidentally, I wish to emphasize here, that I consider violent revolution to be counter revolutionary. I believe that the - overdue - revolution should, and will, occur, on a platform of liberated - and responsible - communication.
"Beware, the military-industrial complex, lest they lead you into war for profit". - Dwight David Eisenhower. Supreme Comdr. of Allied Forces; President of the United States.
- Kai

With regard to the issue of 'politics', that casts a very wide loop in the connotations of its meaning - politics frequently if not characteristically encompasses ethics. Moreover, this is an international issue certainly having much to do with 'religion', and the religiously motivated behavior of people and nations.

The ethical considerations include the fact that Bin Laden - until further notice - has vanished. Hussein has been executed for war crimes.
Terrorist suicide pilots, bombers and shooters increase with each day of American occupation (by any other name). All of these subjects are affiliated with religion ('Jihad') - which has much more to do with ethics than politics.
Then there is the ethical (and political) lesson of Vietnam, and certainly that of Afghanistan having routed the Russians, in the wake of a failed eight year effort to subdue them. It is my qualified opinion that ethics has a great deal to do with what can be called a 'political' issue. By definition, certainly not a 'local' political issue.

The emergence of the so-called Patriot and Home Security Acts - since 9/11/01 - has raised strong ethical issues having to do with the national suppression of Constitutionally guaranteed elements of American rights and freedoms. Indeed, these considerations may be called 'politics', but there are strong issues of ethics in the foreground of all these very controversial issues, which show every indication of growing worse, instead of better.

[labelwench]

As we near Remembrance Day, I thought that the following would be appropriate, some history on the symbolism of the poppy.

The poppy’s significance can be traced to Canadian military physician’s John McCrae’s poem, In Flanders Fields. In the poem, McCrae alludes to the rows and rows of blooming red poppies found in the fields where soldiers were laid to rest. The contrast of the red poppy on the white crosses marking the graves in Flanders has since come to symbolize remembrance for the dead. The red colour also alludes to the amount of bloodshed that occurred in the trenches. The poem is so significant to Canadians that it is quoted on the ten dollar bill.

Inspired by the poem, American YMCA Overseas War secretary Moina Michael made twenty five silk poppies and distributed them to fellow soldiers at a conference of military personnel and veterans. Through her continued efforts, she helped persuade the North American Legion Conference to officially adopt the red poppy as a symbol of remembrance for the soldiers of World War I in 1921. Inspired by her actions, Frenchwoman Anna Guerin produced the artificial version worn today with the help of the Royal British Legion and veterans groups in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Canada Marks Remembrance Day with the Poppy

Adopted in 1921 in Canada, and produced in 1922, Canadians wear poppies on their left breast, close to the heart to mark their observance of Remembrance Day. Distributed and worn in the two weeks prior to November 11th, the Canadian poppies are made of molded red plastic with a black felt centre, usually attached to outerwear with a pin. The original design of the poppies included a black centre, however from 1980 to 2002 the black centre was replaced with a green centre to symbolize the green hills of Flanders. A sticker version of the poppy is used for small children, health care, and food service workers to prevent injury.

Poppies had been made by disabled veterans in Canada until 1996 when their creation was outsourced to a private contractor. In November, some Canadians can also be seen wearing white poppies which symbolize peace. More than 18 million poppies are distributed annually in Canada.

Poppies in Other Countries
England, Wales, and Northern Ireland have also adopted the poppy as a symbol of remembrance, however it is primarily worn in Ireland by the Unionist and Protestant community as it honours the British Armed Forces.

Australia and New Zealand also mark their day of remembrance by wearing the poppy, although the design is different to the Canadian version. Poppy Day is celebrated in Malta and South Africa to honour veterans of war.

[austintorn@aol.com]

Remembrance Day / Veteran's Day

[labelwench]

November 11th has an older history than that which we associate with it now. I found the following of interest, and so I post it here for others to view as well.....

Remembrance Day is commemorated on the 11th November each year, and marks the end of World War I in 1918. The intention of the day is to remember the fallen on both sides in the 'Great war'.

On the face of it, that all appears quite straightforward, yet, as with many holidays if we look a little deeper, we soon see things aren't quite as simple they seem.

11th November has an older tradition that, is by coincidence associated with war and peace. In the Christian calendar it was known as 'Martinmas' or St. Martin's day.

Martin was a Roman soldier who converted to Christianity, and because of his new found religion, refused to fight under a pagan flag. After leaving the army, Martin (ironically named after Mars, the Roman god of war) became a monk, rising up through the orders to eventually become a bishop in Gaul (modern day France).

In the context of the modern day holiday, 11th November marks the signing of the armistice (peace agreement) between the Allies and Germany at Compiègne, France.

The armistice took effect at eleven o'clock in the morning - the "eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month."

However, while this date is used to reflect the end of the whole war, it technically relates to the cease fire on the Western Front; fighting continued after 11th November in parts of the Ottoman Empire. It's a little known fact, that World War I didn't legally end until Allied Forces left Constantinople (now Istanbul) on August 23rd 1923.

After the 'end' of the war in 1918, it didn't take long before the signing of the armistice was adopted as a suitable time and date for countries involved in the war to mark the sacrifice of their soldiers, with official remembrance services taking place in the UK and USA in 1919.

Despite this common history, the day has evolved in different ways around the world. Depending on where you are in the world, it can be known as Armistice Day, Veterans' Day, Remembrance Day, Poppy Day and may not even be celebrated on November 11th!

In the United States, the day was renamed to Veteran's day in 1954, after a campaign by a member of the public to extend the commemorations to include the fallen of World War II and other conflicts.

In the UK, the official commemoration was moved to the Sunday closest to 11th November in 1939, to avoid any disruption to production in factories supporting the war effort. This Sunday observance has remained since, though the 11th may also be marked with a moment of silence at 11am.

In Australia and New Zealand, the events and losses at Gallipoli have taken a deeper hold on the psyche, and the ANZAC day celebrations are the main occasion for people to remember the fallen of conflicts.

The day is marked by an official holiday in both France and Belgium. While the end of the war may be seen as a time for happiness and celebration; the unprecedented loss of life in the war means that the day is a somber day of reflection. In France, the day is marked by parades across the country, such as the grand parade at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.

[labelwench]

Vets Day of National Protest Address
Written by Jeff Rose-Martland
Saturday, 06 November 2010 16:25

It seems that I am in a rare position regarding this issue. I am not
a politician, nor am I veteran. I gain neither votes nor benefits by
speaking here today. I also have nothing to lose: I am not a veteran
or an employee of Veterans’ Affairs, not a member of the Mounted, not
a soldier of the Forces, not the Veterans’ Ombudsman - I don’t not
risk my job or benefits by speaking up. I am simply a citizen.


When I was preparing for this event, I had plenty of advice on what to
say. Put a face on it, they said, tell everyone about the heartache
and trouble caused by Veterans’ Affairs. They wanted me to give
examples. To tell you about individuals who have been failed by our
country. They wanted me to name names, to discuss cases, to play
upon your heart strings to get your support. Well, I’m not going to
do that. I don’t believe that you need faces and names, anymore than
I believe that sympathy is the solution.


So I am not going to tell you about the decorated hero who helped bring peace to Cyprus, who has brought prestige to our flag and represents the peacekeeping we are all so proud of. I won’t tell you about the battle he has
fought with Veterans Affairs – a battle longer than his Cyprus
mission. I will not go in to details about long and solitary fights
over $2500 for hearing aids – fights he keeps losing because Veteran’s
Affairs refuses to understand that four days firing artillery might
cause hearing loss.


Nor will I go into details about the Brigadier General who is dying of
cancer; Cancer caused by exposure to Agent Orange. He is not unique;
there are thousands just like him, fighting for benefits on their
death beds. I won’t raise the name of Brian Dyck, ALS victim and
tireless advocate, who was fighting for his benefits just weeks before
his death.

I won’t discuss the RCMP veterans: those who kept the peace side-by-
side with Forces Personnel, gaining the same injuries, who returned
home to discover that their different uniform meant they were less
entitled and less veterans.

Nor will I espouse at great length about veterans living on the
streets or about them using food banks, or even about the fact that
there IS a food bank especially for veterans. We are all aware of
those shameful facts.

To illustrate the failure of the lump-sum payment, I was asked to
locate a particular Peacekeeper - one of those who was chained to a
lamp post in Bosnia - who was later blown up, losing an arm, a leg,
and an eye in service to his Nation, to bring peace to a conflict, and
for the prestige of us all. But I will not drag this hero up here to
tell us how we treated him, to tell us that his award paid for an
accessible house and a wheelchair, but not enough for an accessible
van or to provide for his family, to show us his injuries and tell us
about his family on welfare. I would not further denigrate this
Veteran by parading his wounds and betrayal today, just to put a face
on this farce.

It was also suggested that I have all the facts and figures. Get your
information in order, they said. Tell them about percentages and
amortizations, how veterans won’t be able to live on those lump-sum
payments. Tell the people about the money the government is saving by
eliminating monthly pensions. Talk about the unfairness of taxing
death benefits, they said, Tell the public about the claw-backs from
our insurance plans which guarantee will we have the same income no
matter what new initiative is launched. The veterans wanted me to
detail all the failings of Veterans Affairs: a system that Colonel
Stogran himself describes as broken and incomprehensible. They
thought that if I presented you with the facts, you would understand.
Well, I’ve read the facts and I don’t understand! I don’t understand
how there can be more than 20 different classifications of veteran. I
don’t understand why the system has become so complicated that no one
seems to know what a veteran is entitled to. And I really don’t
understand how senior staff and ministers of any government department
can break privacy laws in order to silence critics and go unpunished.
I don’t understand any of that, so I’m not going to try to explain it
to you.

Nor am I going to prattle on at great length about the fabulous work
done by the RCMP and Canadian Forces Around the world, the image of
the Mountie is synonymous with Canada, representing justice and
determination. In uncounted nations, the blue beret and the maple
leaf mean peace, freedom, and help. Other countries are known for
flags or fast food, our country is recognized for our police and
military. I don’t need to remind YOU about the work these people do
at home, either. None of us like speeding tickets, but what do you
want to see when you are stuck in a ditch in a snowstorm? Just like
me, you want to see a beaver hat with a buffalo badge! More than any
other province, we know what the Canadian Forces do. We know about
Search and Rescue, about people jumping out of perfectly good
helicopters into the raging North Atlantic to save sailors from
drowning. We know, all too well, all too recently, how much we need
the Canadian Forces. When Igor devastated this island, who rebuilt
bridges and roads to cut-off communities? Who met our pleas, without
question, without thought, without consideration for themselves? It
is easy to think of a veteran as a warrior, but Canada has shown that
police and military can do so much more than fight and arrest. But
you already know that, so I don’t need to tell you.

By now, you’re probably thinking: For a guy who’s not saying anything,
he’s talking an awful lot! And you’d be right! But finally, here is
what I am going to talk about: responsibility.

143 years ago, Canada invented responsible government. We founded
ourselves on responsibility, on the belief that it is not enough to
rule and to be ruled, but that we must be responsible for each other
and to each other. And that sense of responsibility has forged our
national character. We settle our arguments not by standing firm but
by seeing the other point of view. We celebrate our cultures, knowing
that our differences make us stronger, not weaker. We are secure, not
by looking at our own fence but by looking at each others’. We built
a social safety net because we understand that in helping each other,
we also help ourselves. We consider how our actions affect each
other. We stand together in crisis, prepared to do what is required.

We clear snow from each other’s driveways.

As Canadians, we have taken this sense of responsibility to the world,
leading by doing. We have exported these ideas and values around the
globe. We championed a Universal Declaration of Human Rights 32 years
before we declared ours at home. We showed everyone how soldiers
could keep peace instead of make war. All because we feel
responsible.

And these veterans, these men and women of our Canadian Forces and
Royal Canadian Mounted Police, they feel an even greater
responsibility: a responsibility to serve our national need. A
responsibility to stand between us and harm. A responsibility to get
us out of trouble. A responsibility to do whatever needs doing. A
responsibility to answer our call, to follow our will, to hold firm,
to disregard their interests in favour of ours’. They are willing to
sacrifice their desires, their bodies, their minds, because we asked
them to do so.

And how have we repaid them?

We have failed to meet our own responsibilities.

When I learned of the problems at Veterans Affairs, I could not see
how such a thing could happen. I, like many of you, automatically
assumed veterans were looked after. I was sure this was a long
settled matter: that those who serve our country should be
automatically cared for. I thought perhaps there may be a small
matter, something overlooked, which could be easily remedied. I was
not prepared for the length and breadth and depth of the failures.

I was not prepared for such silencing of critics. For members of the
mounted, express concern about your benefits and get fired. For
veterans affairs employees, talk about systemic failures and get
fired. For members of the Forces, say anything out of turn and
possibly get jailed! The veterans’ ombudsman, the man paid to find
the problems, did so and was let go. The veterans themselves: speak
up and find your benefits slashed, your name blackened, your sanity
called into question.

In fact, I may be the only one present who can speak freely!

For months, I have been watching politicians and bureaucrats playing
pass-the-blame and score-with-the-voter and get-your-picture-taken-
with-a-veteran while the issues persist. There is a lot of talk but
no action, much feeling but no movement, plenty of pointing but
nothing poignant.

As a Canadian, I am here today to meet my responsibilities.

To all veterans of the RCMP and Canadian Forces, and those who have
sacrificed along with them:

Thank you for serving. I am sorry for any mistreatment you have
suffered.

And to Parliament, to those whom we elect to tend to our
responsibilities, those who are responsible to us, we want your
instructions perfectly clear:

Take Care of Our Veterans!

Go back to Ottawa and get to work. Ask those that know where the
problems lie and follow their solutions. Waste no more time in
passing blame; stand to your responsibility, tend to our veterans, and
do so without further delay. People are suffering and dying while you
debate and your inaction reflects badly on us, the people of Canada.

Citizens, join me now in sending that message to Ottawa in clear and
certain terms:

Take Care of Our Veterans!

This Rally is over. May we never have to do this again.

[labelwench]

A friend sent me the following video this morning, and I thought for quite a while before posting it on this forum, for I would not wish anyone to consider it to be a posting that celebrates war.

War is not a thing to celebrate, nor even surviving the war, IMO.

The thing we need to ponder is that war was deemed to be necessary to preserve the individual rights and freedoms that we in the Western World (and a great many other nations) enjoy today.

So I post the video on this thread, for I feel that you perhaps more than many of the posters here will recognize that I do so, not in celebration, but in respect for the ultimate sacrifice made by so many, that is not even known to the following generations that have been fortunate enough to born into a time of relative peace.

All who participate in war sacrifice their lives, even if they are among those who are blessed to return home whole in body. The scars that cannot be seen last for a lifetime.

Not a celebration, but a solemn reminder that war is a terrible thing.


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