Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71 Posted May 9, 2015 Share Posted May 9, 2015 ....thoroughly enjoying this act of remembrance and show of appreciation for our wartime personnel....great stuff!! Dave Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RhBBob Posted May 9, 2015 Share Posted May 9, 2015 Sadly, Martin Shaw couldn't get Laurence Binyon's words right .... It starts 'they shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old ...' Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Torper Posted May 10, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 10, 2015 I'm afraid that I'm getting fed up with what seem to be an increasing number of events celebrating past wars. Remembrance Sunday, fine, provided that it its main purpose is to remember those who gave their lives rather than to glorify war. But commemorating the start of World War One, which was an appalling waste of life, or VE Day celebrating victory 70 years ago against a country that is now a good friend and European ally? I suppose it makes some people think that we are great, but that's an illusion. Surely it's time we started looking to the future, however uncomfortable that might be, rather than dwelling on past glories. DT Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
55012 Posted May 10, 2015 Share Posted May 10, 2015 I'm afraid that I'm getting fed up with what seem to be an increasing number of events celebrating past wars. Remembrance Sunday, fine, provided that it its main purpose is to remember those who gave their lives rather than to glorify war. But commemorating the start of World War One, which was an appalling waste of life, or VE Day celebrating victory 70 years ago against a country that is now a good friend and European ally? I suppose it makes some people think that we are great, but that's an illusion. Surely it's time we started looking to the future, however uncomfortable that might be, rather than dwelling on past glories. DT Perhaps it is because of the past that you can look forward to the future! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Claude_Dreyfus Posted May 10, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 10, 2015 I'm afraid that I'm getting fed up with what seem to be an increasing number of events celebrating past wars. There is a risk we confuse 'commemoration' with 'celebration'. I suppose it makes some people think that we are great, but that's an illusion. Surely it's time we started looking to the future, however uncomfortable that might be, rather than dwelling on past glories. I think you will find a good many people won't share your view that these are 'glories'. It is important to understand and learn from the past. Commemoration has its place Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71 Posted May 10, 2015 Author Share Posted May 10, 2015 .....there is no element of glory or celebration in my appreciation of such acts of remembrance....I am simply showing my solidarity with those who made so many sacrifices to allow me to enjoy my today and to allow me to hope for tomorrow. Dave Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozexpatriate Posted May 11, 2015 Share Posted May 11, 2015 Less highlighted than the VE day commemoration in Britain, there was a flyby of vintage US aircraft on the Mall in Washington DC on Friday. I caught the end of it on C-SPAN3 (which, for all the jokes about C-SPAN, is a remarkable channel) last night. This event was branded "Arsenal of Democracy" but despite the title it was quite amazing. I picked it up with a PBY and the Midway narrative. Along with the inevitable single-engined fighters I was impressed to see the collection of larger aircraft. The parade of four-engined bombers was pretty amazing featuring a B24, two B17s and a B29. It must have been really something to see that flyby. The programme suffered from the inevitable 'production values' of C-SPAN3, and audio wasn't great but it would have been really interesting to see. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bernard Lamb Posted May 11, 2015 Share Posted May 11, 2015 ....thoroughly enjoying this act of remembrance and show of appreciation for our wartime personnel....great stuff!! Dave Indeed. .... but I reckon the Russians did a better job of it. Now that was a show. Bernard Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71 Posted May 11, 2015 Author Share Posted May 11, 2015 .....the Russians have a great deal of 'putting their own house in order' to do before I'll feel inclined to share in such events with them.....as similarly demonstrated by the leaders of many countries. Dave Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium phil-b259 Posted May 11, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 11, 2015 I'm afraid that I'm getting fed up with what seem to be an increasing number of events celebrating past wars. Remembrance Sunday, fine, provided that it its main purpose is to remember those who gave their lives rather than to glorify war. But commemorating the start of World War One, which was an appalling waste of life, or VE Day celebrating victory 70 years ago against a country that is now a good friend and European ally? I suppose it makes some people think that we are great, but that's an illusion. Surely it's time we started looking to the future, however uncomfortable that might be, rather than dwelling on past glories. DT One of the big reasons for this years events commentating the end of WW2 can be spelt out in three letters - age. Back in 1995 we commentated 50 years since the end of WW2 and there vere plenty veterans of the conflict still living. 20 years later the passage of time is reducing the numbers quite sharply and it seams fitting to me that rather than wait until there are no more before we hold the next commemoration (i.e. 100 years) it has been decided to commentate 70 years with the veterans still around to give us their personal perspective. This is particularly important when you consider that WW2 was far more of a 'people's war' rather than a military campaign - from the Nazi extermination of the Slavic people, Jews and treatment of Russian prisoners - to the blitz bombing raids on the great cities of Europe, ordinary people suffered as never before and it is only right and propper that the veterans who helped bring it to a halt should know that subsiquent generations are grateful for their efforts before they themselves join their comrades as only names on memorials, etc. Last years commeration of 100 years since the start of WW1 was important - yes it was a appalling waste of life, but it also represented something more. An example of when diplomacy failed and nation states thought war would solve everything. The events of 1914 also show us just how susceptible we can be to propaganda and the idea that military might is allways right. However as good as the events were, the fact that it has now passed beyond living memory undoubtably gave the events a different feel about them. While I am not old enough to know whether anything was organised back in 1984, if it was then the presence of WW1 veterans would have made the commerations more 'real' so to speak. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Joseph_Pestell Posted May 12, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 12, 2015 Sadly, Martin Shaw couldn't get Laurence Binyon's words right .... It starts 'they shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old ...' Probably not his fault: just following the text he was given. I am sure that the usual rendition is "they shall not grow old". Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Joseph_Pestell Posted May 12, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 12, 2015 I can't give "full marks" to any event with the ubiquitous Alfie Boe. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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