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I was just wondering, if any of you will be gaming this weekend, how many of you will be having 2 minutes silence for Remembrance Sunday?

Doesn't matter what I'm doing gaming or not, you've got to observe the 2 minutes

It's not an observed event in the United States. Seems to be a UK-only thing.

Psienesis wrote:It's not an observed event in the United States. Seems to be a UK-only thing.

Actually, we do observe it. We just call it Veteran's Day.

But Veteran's Day is not Sunday, but rather this Friday.

Psienesis wrote:It's not an observed event in the United States. Seems to be a UK-only thing.

We know it as Veterans Day.

EDIT: I need to start posting faster.

Also, They celebrate on the second Sunday, which is the nearest Sunday to the 11th.

And, also, it is the day that Skyrim is released in the US so... maybe I will hold a moment of silence for all those poor fethers who get in my way.

More seriously, though, Veterans Day in the US has expanded to be more of a recognition of all of the veterans of the US Armed Services rather than from a single war. We use Memorial Day to honor our war dead, and Veterans Day to honor all those who have served.

Psienesis wrote:It's not an observed event in the United States. Seems to be a UK-only thing.

Every commonwealth country observes it as well. Canada, NZ, Aus, South Africa...


*Sigh* and no it doesn't just commemorate any single conflict.

It commemorates all the soldiers that lost thier lives fighting for the commonwealth...

And yes, I will be observing it, at work along with the WW2 survivors that live here...


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Edit: I work in a Nursing Home. Always a highly charged day. Especially as the number of those that fought in WW2 is getting smaller every month.

sarpedons-right-hand wrote:It commemorates all the soldiers that lost thier lives fighting for the commonwealth...

And yes, I will be observing it, at work along with the WW2 survivors that live here...


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Edit: I work in a Nursing Home. Always a highly charged day. Especially as the number of those that fought in WW2 is getting smaller every month.

Sighs isn't that the truth. I think in Canada we only have 2 or 3 Great War Vets, and alot less WWII vets.

I can't believe 32 people didn't know what Remberance day was. If it's just confusion because of what country you are in, alright. But if not I really weep for the future. This stuff needs to be taught in schools. I wonder how many little punks know what "Flanders Field' is.


Funny story, My Grandpa served in the Royal Canadian Army, he was a Sgt but got busted down to private for soemthing stupid. His CO said he would never be a Sgt in Canada again. So when they where on the convoy to the UK for D-day his CO comes up to him and hand's him a envelope. He looks inside and it's his Sgt Stripes. While he looks back at the CO with a stunned look on his face his CO says " We just passed the 200 nautical Mile limit, so where no longer in Canada anymore Sgt" with a grin on his face.

I never got sick of hearing that story.

My Grandfather was stationed on one of the King George V class Battleships in the Royal Navy during WWII, and this is the first Remberance Day my family is observing without him. I will be observing the 2 min of silence for him.

If we are sharing funny stories about our relatives experiences in the service I have a good one. Near the end of the war, with his vessel docked in Britain, my Grandfather was standing watch and went AWOL with some of his friends looking for girls. When he returned to the ship the following morning he was thrown in the brig for 30 days. He told me that it was worth every day.

My Great Granddad won medals for growing tomatoes in the trenches during WW1...He survived Ypes as well. Lucky man! My Granddad was a Lancaster pilot, part of the first wave that bombed Dresden.. He never really talked about it while he was alive but every so often he would talk. He told me that on a flight back from Germany his Squadron was ambushed by the Luftwaffe. He lost his whole crew, all except for the Navigator and himself. 2 of the 4 engines were destroyed as well. He was lucky to make it back to his airbase, but his love of that fantastic aeroplane stayed with him his while life. He used to say it saved his life more often than not. Not his skill, nor the guns, but the plane itself.

Psienesis wrote:It's not an observed event in the United States. Seems to be a UK-only thing.

In Canada we have it too, we call it Remembrance Day.

As always, I shall be observing the two minute silence.

Its also called that here too Luna, sometimes Armistice Day. Many refer to it as Rememerence Sunday as that's when all of the ceremonial and religious stuff gets organised for.

I've worked in quite traditional companies that still hold the silence at 11am no matter what day it was, machines turned off and phones unanswered.

What I always find amusing is that the wearing of poppies here and in most of the commonwealth was an idea that a US widow got from a Canadian poem which then became a British tradition.

So Yanks, the next time a Brit rightly starts reminding you how we invented everything you can throw poppies back in his face.

My grandfather was in occupied Japan. Veterans day is a big day for our family, we always get together for dinner to remember grandpa and all the other vets that gave so much. But honestly, I think about him and give thanks everyday.

My Great Grandad, in a Canadian artillery unit in WW1, told my dad a story about when he was stationed in the trenches. His friends would all put money down on a table and whoever could count the most lice in their uniforms got the cash. It's pretty hard to believe. He also wrote a journal which i read( some heavy stuff). His brothers also served and I've read their letters home. Another crazy story in one of those too. Anyway, Yes I will by remembering veterans of my home countries on the official American holiday.

Remembrance Day is November 11th here in Canada. I will be at the cenotaph for the ceremonies.

As a serving member, I'll be putting on my best uniform and heading out to my local cenotaph for a ceremony.

I had a number of family members who served in various conflicts and capacities. Remembrance day means a lot to me.

*Sigh* and no it doesn't just commemorate any single conflict.

Don't know about Remembrance Day, but the American holiday, Veterans Day, was originally intended to observe the signing of the Treaty of Versailles that ended WW1. It's not observed as such, at least not by the majority of the populace, but that was and is still it's stated purpose.

Yeah I will be observing Veteran's day.

PS whats a cenotaph?

I'll be remembering for Veterans Day. I always have and I always will. My dad is a US Coast Guard officer, his father was Air force in Vietnam, my great grandpa was army officer whom set up field hospitals (served in WWII , Korea and Vietnam) and my great grandma was a nurse in the WAC corps.

My favorite story is from my grandma whom told me about how her parents met. Appearantly, my great grandma had fallen in love with a man who died in north africa. her distress got her to ask for a transfer to the war zone anywhere she could and she got deployed to England. While in England, she met my great grand father and he won her heart over time.

He died in 2000 but he also saved my life when i was younger. I'll never forget him, and I feel guilty that i never got to thank him for saving my life. That is a life long regret of mine. Shes gonna be celebrating her 95th birthday this november. I visit her as often as i can when i get time off of uni.

Hardly a day goes by I don't spend a few wistful momements thinking of the buds I lost in Iraq, so yeah I imagine I will be one way or the other.

Technically here in the UK...and I suppose in the other Commonwealth countries, we have Armistice Day on the Friday and Remembrance on the Sunday, both have a 2 minute silence at 11am.

I had 2 relatives fight in ww2, both in the air force, one was part of the bombing crew on a B17 and unfortunately dies a fair few years ago, after surviving the war.
The other was a hurricane or spitfire pilot, and unfortunately crashed into the side of a mountain :/

Me and the people running it will make sure that the 2 minutes silence is observed on Sunday at the gaming day we are holding.

PraetorDave wrote:Yeah I will be observing Veteran's day.

PS whats a cenotaph?

A cenotaph is an "empty tomb" or a monument erected in honour of a person or group of people whose remains are elsewhere. It can also be the initial tomb for a person who has since been interred elsewhere. The word derives from the Greek κενοτάφιον = kenotaphion (kenos, one meaning being "empty", and taphos, "tomb"). Although the vast majority of cenotaphs are erected in honour of individuals, many of the best-known cenotaphs are instead dedicated to the memories of groups of individuals, such as the lost soldiers of one country or empire.

- from wikipedia.

I won't be, but that's because we do it on the 11/11 at the 11th hour, not on the next Sunday to it (so it's Friday the 11th November where it is commemorated as "Armistice day" here.).

Many of our ex-servicemen's clubs do, however do the 11th hour thing on every day as a reminder, though.

Aye, this friday is armistice day and so at 11am on the dot a 2 minute silence will cause (most of) the country to stop and think about our honoured dead.
then sunday we do the parades to remember them and raise money for vets through the Royal british legion and many other charities.

must say though i'm not a big fan of the poppy pins and wrist bands etc.
see with the paper poppy they get scuffed and lost, so you have to buy a new one regularly = more money to the RBL, where the pins aren't lost so easily so less money to the RBL :(
the patch however i wear all year round, we shouldn't just remember our veterans and honoured on one day of the year.
Pete

"the Kings are coming up the hill, boys"

Melonfish wrote:see with the paper poppy they get scuffed and lost, so you have to buy a new one regularly = more money to the RBL

Heh - I've bought 4 so far this year.

I'll be observing it on Friday and Sunday. It's quite amusing to see lots of bewlidered tourists (I work in a big museum) trying to figure out what's going on as all the staff stop and observe the two minutes.

Bump , because it is now Remembrance Day

Moment of silence for all the heroes that fought and died for us.

Lest we forget.

honestly i keep my poppy all year round, why should we honour our heroes for only one day of the year? also i think if people cant give 2 minutes of their time to show respect and thanks for our heroes that fought and died for our countries there is something seriously wrong with society, hopefully this year we wont have the poppy burners......disgraceful considering they live in the country these heroes fought for!