T'iss getting to be that time again. 11 November

Quote :

but you shouldn't wear the poppy 'till 1 nov

As Teabag says. "Why"..I have never heard of a fixed date for wearing a poppy.I wear a pin all year and the traditional poppy as soon as the appeal is launched.

If i am doing something wrong TOUGH

arbor wrote:

but you shouldn't wear the poppy 'till 1 nov

Who decreed that?? and when??

1. When did they launch the Poppy Appeal this year?

2. If Poppies are not supposed to be worn before the 1st November, why was I allowed to collect "house-to-house" in my small area from the 24th October (did it last night - and very disappointed)

3. Why should there be a set date when we should remember!!! What about those who are remembering those who are being returned now??? I did not serve in a "big one", but I think of those who have, and do.

Oh , just fell off my horse again.

Paul.

that was dress regulations in the 1950s but after i posted that I read an article in the daily telegraph yesterday .sugest you read it

A couple of years ago one Royal Canadian Legion branch innocently distributed their poppy boxes to the local businesses before October 31st, and there was a bit of a flap. My response was: who cares?

Watching the news the other day, I noticed a British MP being interviewed wearing a poppy, so I assumed there was no such time restriction in the UK.

My other pet peeve is the fact that, after the parades and two minutes silence is over, the bugles fall silent and the parades march off, the stores throw the doors open and it becomes just another bank holiday. Personally, I like the UK system using the closest Sunday to Nov 11th as the day to pause and remember. Here in Canada it always falls on the 11th which, if it falls on a Monday or Friday, turns what should be a day of solemn and respenctful remembrance into just another long weekend, albeit a rather chilly one.

However there is good news. The war in Afghanistan has seemed to have renewed public awareness and respect for the armed forces after decades of flower child-like aversion and outright ignorance regarding our forces. Turnouts at Nov 11 services are high and schools have their own ceremonies prior to the day, at least here in BC. As someone who has attended these school services regularly, it is quite heart-warming to witness this and I leave with a feeling that things are in good hands after all.

OK Gents. That might have been Dress Regs but most Servicemen/women in this part of Lincolnshire wear poppies from the day that RBL put them on sale. Great. And while we're at it, an Act of Remembrance on 11.11. seems to be coming back into fashion no matter when the nearest Sunday is.

This is what happens in France where, instead of a Poppy, they tend to wear a Cornflower for similar reasons.

At my church we read out the names of those who gave their lives every Remembrance Sunday as part of the Act and for the last 10 yrs it has been my great privilege and honour to speak the words and lay the wreath. We can't always manage a trumpeter but our organist can do pretty well on the Trumpet Stop.

Keep it going. And remember that 1968 (I think) was the only year since WWII in which a British Soldier has not given his life for his country.

This year, please remember the soldiers of 11 Lt Bde and the men of WITCHCRAFT 26.

recce83 wrote:

However there is good news. The war in Afghanistan has seemed to have renewed public awareness and respect for the armed forces after decades of flower child-like aversion and outright ignorance regarding our forces. Turnouts at Nov 11 services are high and schools have their own ceremonies prior to the day, at least here in BC. As someone who has attended these school services regularly, it is quite heart-warming to witness this and I leave with a feeling that things are in good hands after all.

Same here in Manitoba Recce. The turn out over the past few years, means one has to leave early if they want a spot to park or even get into some of the services.

At the store which I work the Poppy box was put out early last week. I bought my poppy right away. I am the only one on staff wearing one!

We sold out as of yesterday...hopefully we will get more soon, but of course it all depends when the guys can get to us. It's all volunteer, I believe, so I totally understand delays and such.

What really picks my...well....are the low-lifes who swipe the Poppy Boxes!!

Like most retail outlets, we had ours right on the front counter, right next to the registers and even at that, at least last year, we had them swiped. Absolutely infuriates me!!

Of course staff aren't constantly behind the tills as there is lots to be done out on the floor (changing out coffee, re-stocking, cleaning, etc etc) and so, unfortunately, the boxes are sometimes unattended and these scum take advantage of that and...poof!...out the door they go with it and nobody realizes it until well after the fact.

I had better never catch someone in the act, I can tell ya....I'd be sore-pressed not to bitchslap them all the way across the parking lot and back and then some!

Hi Stephen, sad thing is that that these cretins will sell the poppies and drug up or booze up the money which is for the RBL to help our troops. I guess we should feel sorry for them, because they are probably scamming the system already by claiming for all sorts, and guess what these people are experts at taking the money from others. I say bring back conscript and send them to Afghanistan, get a taste of their own medicine.

Not so much selling the poppies -- people would be highly suspicious of some clearly non-veteran type selling them on a street corner, plus one wouldn't get much for them anyway. But, certainly swiping the donation tub, especially if they hit 2 or 3 or more stores, could prove to be reasonably lucrative, I suppose.

Absolutely the money would be used for drugs or booze...no doubt there!

Part of me does feel sorry for them but part of me absolutely sure as hell doesn't! These are hard times for us all and some of us keep plodding along trying to make the best of it and others choose --choose -- to rip the system off. It's like they have some sort of weird sense of entitlement.

As for bringing back conscription....again, I remember a conversation I had with my Dad about this and in that conversation my Dad, who was a dedicated career soldier and LOVED the Army, outright rejected the idea. Not conscription per se, but getting these losers into the army as some sort of way of smartening them up. As I recall, he said something along the lines of "We don't want them! They're f**k-ups, why would we want to waste time, energy and resources on them?"

As for sending these sorts of petty criminals, who (let's just say for the sake of argument) are now in the army and somehow managed to make it through basic training, to Afghanistan...yikes!!!

Would you want to have some jerkhead like that in your unit? Depending on him to watch your back in a firefight or, for that matter, depending on him to hold up his end in such a fight? I sure as hell wouldn't!!

I went to my local legion last night to try and obtain a few of the metal badges. No they didn't have any on open sale. Barman asked the committee who were meeting at the time and was informed that they were locked away. Said I would come back today.

Went today and they were still locked away and the guy responsible is a "law unto himself and appears when he wants" I was told.

It is no good moaning about people not buying poppies etc if certain people act in this way. I wonder if the person in question ever actually served in the forces?

While I was there, I decided that I would rejoin the RBL having let my old membership lapse when I moved house. It was a bit of a shock to get the application form and not have to give my service details as I did the first time. I know some legions are struggling and take virtually anyone these days but all they had on the form were several tick boxes asking if you served and which branch of the service. This is rather strange in my humble. No service numbers or units were asked for and for some reason I found that a little bit off putting. It was as though "our club" is no longer special to "us" and they are just interested in the money and not if you were in the forces at all!

Perhaps I am just being sensitive and it didn't help that those who did serve were expected to pay the same membership fees as those who would never dream of doing so. Viva cheap ale!

Any thoughts or am I just over reacting?

teabag,felt the same way myself about joining the legion.most members are not ex service and found the commitee to be very clicky..graham.

As Legions face a 'dying off' of members it does appear they are more than willing, as a means of survival, to admit just about anyone as a member...and it does appear, to sound a bit cynical for a moment, to be about the money. Of course it is....

So many of the Old Boys (and Girls) have died off and even those who are still kicking around from Korean War or even Vietnam are getting a bit long in the tooth.

Of course, many of the "Younger vets" are part of the Boomer demographic and, typically, are involved in other enterprises, unlike those who made up the membership of Legions in the generation before theirs/ours.

I know the Legions here in Canada have opened their doors to one and all, pretty much, and I was quite surprised not that many years ago (two or three) when attending a Legion (a woman I was buddies with worked there) to discover the table of regulars while Legion regulars, certainly, only had one ex-military member and she was reserve!

Does this possibly ring any bells in the way all of the Services are treated in times of peace?? by a lot of people, especially where events do not directly affect them?



Paul. (With the greatest respect to the author, and apologies for any infringement of rights)

Just about sums it up Paul

Lets Lift One for Old Friends ..

Len (Ciphers)

Already have Len.

For those, past and present, who have made the ultimate sacrifice.

WE WILL REMEMBER THEM, NOT JUST TODAY BUT ALWAYS.

Paul.

We'll be having our Nov 11 this Wed. They still have it on the day over here.

Here in Calgary we have, once again, lost one of our own...a young Sapper. And, once again, our esteemed city council messed up.

Last year there was a huge controversy erupted over whether the flags in front of City Hall should be at half-mast following the death of a Calgary-based/raised soldier and when. Apparently, there was no policy in place and the flags stayed at full-mast.

Then the mayor came out with some comment about oh well, we don't lower the flags until the casket is back on Canadian soil, yet in at least one instance the flags went to half-mast while the soldier's remains was still being held overseas (in Kandahar or where ever...). It really seemed to be arbitrary.

Following the death of Sapper Marshall in AF the flags remained at full-mast for a full 3 days! The excuse this time was oh, well, he was based out of Edmonton and we were waiting for confirmation he was, in fact, a Calgarian. Meanwhile, both our daily papers were full of reports about his death and that he was born and raised in Calgary although, yes, the PPCLI are now based in Edmonton (were based for years in Currie Barracks here in Calgary until about 7 years ago)....after that story hit the papers and various columnists expressed outrage the flags were still not being brought to half-mast, presto! -- the flags were lowered....hmmmmm.

On the up side, however, is we have a major east-west artery here along the river called Memorial Drive. Originally, it was planted with elms and other large deciduous trees to memorialize those lost in WWI back in the day.

Elms are not native to this prairie region and many of the trees were now dying off and over the years many were cut down as they had become dangerous. Nobody thought to replace them as each one was cut down, of course...that's a tad too obvious a solution.

Anyway, some one -- a private individual -- took it upon himself to approach various community orgs and businesses and such and erect white wooden crosses along the pathway system bordering the river with the names and life-dates of those lost in WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam (not sure about that one as, although many Canadians did sign up to go over there, it was not "officially" a Canadian war), Afghanistan etc. There are also a couple of stone memorials being erected at key points along the route, which is good.

The downside, however, is it all really does smack of political opportunism and as a way of deflecting a variety of controversies this council has found itself embroiled in....but then as I age I become more and more of a cynic....going to end up one Grouchy Old Man, I just know it! LOL Hell, it can be argued I'm already there, and I'm not that old!

I am a member of Matsqui Unit 315 of the Army, Navy and Air Force Veterans in Canada ... was a member of the Royal Canadian Legion since 1966 until last year. Like the rest of Canada we observe the 11 Nov as the Day of Remembrance, in most Provinces it is a statutory holiday.
On Tuesday we have been invited to visit a local High School in our best bib and tucker for their School observance, and on Wednesday we parade at our own Unit for the official ceremonies marking the day. Our unit is only 85 members strong, but on the 11 we expect to host close to 400 members and guests ..

Len (Ciphers)

Stephen,

You are a cynic!!! I have been there for years.

I never served in a major conflict but respect those who have, and still do, no matter where they come from. A lot of us, we have our own ways of remembering.

Those on your side of the water - they are Canadian!! So why the silly politics in that "they were not from here"

I really must stop getting on this horse - it throws me every time!!

Paul.

Hi All,

Well we held our Remembrance Service here in Crete, Souda Bay Commonwealth War Graves Cemetary yesterday at 11AM Local time. It was a very moving day and a time clearly to remember.

I coordinate the service every year for the Defence Attache' at the British Embassy in Athens. We had around 200 people attend with some local Greek senior Navy & Amercian Officers attending.

The countries of Canada (Air Force), Greece, South Africa, USA & New Zealand were represented. There were 21 wreaths laid from the countries and from units that had lost servicemen in Greece or around the globe.

The weather was fantastic. The Ex Servicemen & Vets marched in behind a bagpipes player. We had the local Greek Navy provide a Petty Officer to play the Last Post & reveille.

The atmosphere was electric. Yes, I have seen active service and yes I have lost some good friends. Hence my chance to volunteer to coordinate such a service. It was equally important to me as it was to all those that attended.

A very memorable day, I look forward to coordinating next year, so if anyone out there would like to come to Crete, Greece next year and be involved drop me a line.

"Least We Forget" Always in our thoughts and in our hearts.

Keith

Hardrations wrote:

We'll be having our Nov 11 this Wed. They still have it on the day over here.

Tomorrow (Nov 10) our pipe band will be playing at the high school in Summerland for their own assembly and we'll be supplying pipers to three Legion branches in the Okanagan Valley as well as parading at the Summerland Cenotaph on Nov 11th.

I hope the turn-outs are good, or have been good wherever you are and although I'm stuck here in BC I'll be on parade with you all in spirit on Wednesday.

"At the going down of the sun and in the morning WE WILL REMEMBER THEM!"

Cheers

Rod

Paul wrote:

Stephen,

You are a cynic!!! I have been there for years.

I never served in a major conflict but respect those who have, and still do, no matter where they come from. A lot of us, we have our own ways of remembering.

Those on your side of the water - they are Canadian!! So why the silly politics in that "they were not from here"

I really must stop getting on this horse - it throws me every time!!

Paul.

Exactly....to my way of thinking, if a Canadian soldier is killed in action or in the service of his/her country all flags across Canada should be lowered.

The flag atop the Peace Tower of our Parliament Buildings in Ottawa is only lowered on Remembrance Day and not every time a soldier is killed. There has been some controversy about that, as well, but I do understand the rationale behind only lowering, in honour of ALL troops killed, once a year.

However, flags in front of federal buildings, municipal buildings, schools, etc., especially in the hometown of those killed, yes, they need to be lowered immediately.

Of course, what it is is that we have two completely different mindsets/perspectives at work here, and they are often in conflict with each other.

There is the military's way of seeing things (and this includes families of) and there is 'everybody else'. While many civilians certainly respect and honour those we have lost, as evidenced by the Highway of Heroes and the numbers who show up to pay their respects to the funeral procession of those soldiers returning home for the final time, generally speaking there just isn't any grasp or understanding of how the military as an entity, let alone rank and file, view things.

Certainly as an Army Wife and an Army Brat, my mother and I experienced this over and over. Simple things like living in Married Quarters (which happened twice during the whole 30-years my dad served) were criticized by civilian friends even family...."free housing" etc.

Were that it was only so!!

Description from the Pier Head at Liverpool. Hope it is still there as they have done a lot of redevelopment lately. Some appreciate the sacrifices of the Canadians.


Canada Boulevard - Runs the entire lenth of the Three Graces frontage and consists of a boulevard of maple trees with plaques laid into the pavement listing the canadian ships lost during the Second World war.

This video has probably bounced around the world a few times, but if you haven't seen A PITTANCE OF TIME by Canadian singer-songwriter Terry Kelly, go to Google and search for: Pittance of Time Video. Several will show up, but I think the clearest is on Google video. You can read the background info on some sites, but he wrote the song in response to his outrage at seeing shoppers ignore the request for 2 minutes silence about 9 years ago. It gets very heavy play this time of year in schools over here which is good news.