In November, poppy sellers line the streets, collecting donations for the Royal British Legion (RBL). Millions of poppies will be worn throughout the country in a display of Remembrance for those who have served. Often, we relate the poppy to the First and Second World Wars, and rightly so.
As we lose the last survivors of WWII, we must hear their stories before they are gone forever. As a child, I remember sitting with my great grandfather, listening to stories of his time in the Merchant Navy. From crossing the Atlantic whilst being targeted by U-boats, to Arctic Convoys into the Soviet Union, those tales will always be present in my mind, particularly this time in the year.
I’m saddened he passed before he could tell me more of his stories and I wasn’t able to fully understand them at the time. Our generation dismisses the importance of Remembrance, which includes modern conflicts, such as Afghanistan and the Gulf Wars. Servicepeople fought for our protection and still do, yet we seem to treat the modern day military with distain and disrespect.
Those on the front line fight hard so we can live freely. Yet, we only seem to criticise them. Special operations have eliminated key figures in terror cells, as well as large groups of enemy forces, with minimal casualties.
The British military regularly carries out humanitarian operations globally. These operations receive little attention in British media, despite them protecting our nation. The reason why we wear the poppy is not only to show respect for those who fought and fell, but also raise awareness of those who still live, wounded and scarred.
The Royal British Legion is greatly benefited from Remembrance, allowing it to earn vital income and support servicepeople and veterans across the United Kingdom. The RBL is key to helping veterans adjust to civilian life and deal with life-changing wounds, as well as mental health support, especially PTSD. Without our support, they wouldn’t be able to do the brilliant work they do, and The Poppy Appeal is a key funding opportunity for the RBL.
If Remembrance is treated like just another day and its importance is forgotten when the two-minute silence ends, we have truly lost its meaning. Conflict doesn’t exist solely on the 11th of November. Our nation fights twenty-four seven, three hundred and sixty-five days a year.
Armed Forces Day is barely mentioned in the press, bar the Army vs Navy Rugby Union match at the Allianz Stadium. We seem to pay our respects on one day, then act like conflicts and sacrifices don’t occur throughout the rest of the year. We should help raise awareness for those who serve and served, such as raising money and having community outreach programmes.
When I was in Year 6, we would go to the local church once a week and meet residents from a local care home. Many of the residents had fought in the Second World War and Korea. I met some lovely, kind-hearted gentlemen, who took part in the D-Day landings on June 6th 1944.
He told me about his time in service and what it was like coming back to help rebuild the country. Adapting from military life to civilian is no easy task and is why so many end up living rough on the streets, falling through the cracks of a broken system. Therefore, we as a community should help with small things, like coffee mornings where servicepeople can meet with others or an outreach programme so lonely veterans have someone to talk to.
It isn’t that no support exists, but that there is not enough. As a country, if we keep Remembrance at the back of our minds, we can do more to help those who have given so much for us. We live in an age of political turmoil, divided into extremes.
If we commemorate what was given for us to be free, we will be deterred from hateful ideology and look towards peace and togetherness. Remembrance is not only a time of commemoration and reflection, but also a time of celebration, knowing that despite the huge losses and sacrifices, peace prevailed. From the Falklands to Skye, Britons will stand silent at the eleventh minute of the eleventh hour of the eleventh month, for all that was given for our lives today.