Should we continue to commemorate wars? Discuss with reference to specific examples.
Throughout the course of this essay I will be discussing whether or not we should continue to commemorate wars, I will be mainly referring to Armistice Day and Remembrance Sunday as my examples because these are the biggest commemorations for any of the wars in British history.
Among all of the ceremonies and silences that occur throughout the year, there is still a tendency for people to forget what they are commemorating and remembering. When we commemorate wars, for example on remembrance weekend, we are remembering tens of thousands of people who died defending the country against evil; we also remember the people who these people loved and the loss that they encountered.
We commemorate Armistice Day because it is 80 years to the day since World War One ended and the two-minute silence is to commemorate this. The silence, says the Royal British Legion, is "to remember the brave men and women who fought so courageously and with such sacrifice to secure the freedom which you and I enjoy today".
On Remembrance Sunday there is another two minutes silence at eleven o’clock. The poppies worn and laid are a mark of respect for those who have died in wars everywhere in our name. Also a march past by veterans from wars symbolises the suffering and pain that goes on everywhere today and that is endured by some many.
Commemoration is a time to reflect on the fact that our entire way of life is predicated on the sacrifices and courage of those that came before us and fought for our respective nations. It takes more courage than most of us can imagine risking ones life for an intangible goal such as victory for a nation. It has long been held that we should honour our past soldiers, to that honour I say that we should add thanks and deference.
I think that commemorations should be an opportunity for all people but especially the young to thank and be grateful for the service of the forces and civilians during both the world wars. The sacrifices made and that are still having to be lived with by some should never be forgotten
These commemorations means to me a time when the memories of those soldiers who gave their lives for the causes of peace are appreciated by people who have benefited from this.
The novel All Quiet On the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque, the poem, “In Flanders Field,” by John McCrae and the film, Gallipoli, Demonstrates how war makes men feel unimportant and, forces soldiers to make hard decisions that no one should half to make. In war people were forced to fight for their lives. Men were forced to kill one another to get their opinion across to the opposing sides. When men went home to their families they were too scared to say what had happened to them in the war. Many people had a glorified thought about how war is, Soldiers didn't tell them what had truly happened to them.
A time to remember those who died, those who served, and those who carry on.” ~Unknown. Servicemen make sacrifices daily. During 9/11, the Manhattan firefighters were responding to a gas leak when they heard the explosion from one of the twin towers. Policemen and firefighters from all around New York and surrounding areas came to help rescue the victims. They searched through rubbish and raced with time to check the buildings before and after the buildings collapsed. There were clouds of smoke, dust, and debris flying through the streets; blinding the bystanders. Hundreds of servicemen died that day, including military personnel in the Pentagon who were also hit by the hijackers. I had a cousin named Johnnie Doctor Jr who was in the Navy. He was killed in the Pentagon. I never got to know him, but from what I heard he was a great person to be
The memorial grew out of a need to heal the nation's wounds as America struggled to reconcile different moral and political points of view. In fact, the memorial was conceived and designed to make no political statement whatsoever about the war. The Memorial is a place where everyone, regardless of opinion, can come together and remember and honor those who served. By doing so, the memorial has paved the way towards reconciliation and healing, a process that continues today.
America’s veterans should be honored because they have suffered through so many hardships that others could not and have not survived, and they did it for their country that they loved and still love today.
I chose the easy route of interview my grandpa (Dean Randel) who served in World War II as flight deck operator that signaled the aircrafts and got them ready for flight. He was station in San Diego on the USS Wisconsin which was of course a aircraft carrier. As I grew up he always told me stories of the good times he had with buddies and just living the good life. This is a first for me to sit down one on one with him and hear about what went on. Before I could even get a word in my grandpa ask me, “Do you know how Veterans Day was brought about?” I was so shock he was into doing this that I just shut my mouth and listened. He continued by saying in 1921, an American soldier -his name "known but to God "-was buried on a Virginia hillside overlooking the Potomac River and the city of Washington, DC. The burial site of this unknown World War I soldier in Arlington National Cemetery symbolized dignity and pride for all American veterans. Similar ceremonies occurred earlier in England and France, where an "unknown soldier” was buried in each nation’s highest place of honor (I later researched and found out it was in England, Westminster Abbey; in France, the Arc de Triomphe). These memorial gestures all took place on November 11, giving universal recognition to the celebrated ending of World War I hostilities at 11 a.m., November 11, 1918 (the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month). The day became known as "Armistice Day.”Armistice Day of...
Today, memorials are built with the purpose of remembering and connecting with the past. Although memorials and monuments are unique landscapes, it must be noted that memorials are often dedicated to those who have been victimized, while monuments offer a celebration or remembrance of a specific person or event. However, both do not fail in shaping the world as it is today. People remember, people learn, and people move on. In memorializing an event and in creating a monument, one should consider its location, cost, and meaning. Failing to do so might provoke controversy among those who are innocent and those who are against it.
Fifty-five million people die each year and yet the number of people who get a grand memorial can be virtually counted on a few dozens of hands. An article in the New York Times made me wonder if memorials are not, perhaps, taken too literary and if, maybe, a memorial can be more than just a work of art or a bench “in the name of someone”.
As time goes, the understanding of the day has changed as well. Much like the original concept of the Purple Heart being an award given for valor and merit before transitioning later to a medal for wounded service members, Veterans Day originated with the same concept as today’s Memorial Day. What is most important to realize is that regardless of what the true definition means to the observer, the purpose behind the day is to remind us all that people put their lives on the line in support of their countries and their fellow man. Their service, their sacrifice, and their dedication to something greater than themselves is honored across the
Veteran’s day is a reflection of the peace and the warrior culture in the United States. While peace cultures strive for tolerance and positive peace, warrior cultures focus on aggression and domination and this Day demonstrates how both cultures are engrained in the American society.
On this day known as Veterans Day, let us take a moment to remember the service of our veterans, and to let us renew our national promise to fulfill our sacred obligations to our brave veterans and to their families who have sacrificed so much in order for us to keep living free.
If everyone was asked what Memorial Day meant to them, you would most likely receive the same answer from each individual: Memorial Day is meant to honor those brave men and women who did not
When I think about what Memorial Day means to me, I think about last year during our Veterans assembly when as part of the National Honor Society we were in charge of putting together the fallen comrade table. While the assembly was taking place we were in charge
Remembrance Day is not just a day. Its’s a day we remember all those who fought. Some veterans have many stories to tell about the war. Some tell us about the trenches and how they had to wake up early in the morning with their rifles ready for Stand To. Some veterans might tell you about the lack of food, or how much they missed their loved ones. Some might tell about losing their friend. All these stories are very hard to take in.
Remembrance Day is about honoring the troops who fought to keep peace across the world. We often take for granted our Canadian values, the Canadian’s who went to war in distant countries believed and fought for those values that were being threatened. As a whole we pay tribute to those who have sacrificed their lives both emotionally and physically. A portion of the soldiers who risked their lives for us have attended St. Joseph high school. Sadly, some have not returned to their families awaiting embraces and this is an important reason why we still need to remember this ceremonial day. On November 11th, we take two minutes of silence to reflect and mourn for those we have lost. Yet for many of us, war is something we only see on television
People go to memorials to learn about the past and as a tradition. At the World War II memorial the stars on the wall represent the soldiers that died during the war. The pillars around the outer part of the memorial represent the state that were founded better the war. The best part about going to the memorials is that the plaques. They tell you about some of the actually events. And if you're in Washington D.C. you should go over to the Arlington cemetery and see the