Results 1 to 30 of 52

Thread: A Thank You, on the Occasion of Veteran's -- Armistice Day

Hybrid View

Previous Post Previous Post   Next Post Next Post
  1. #1
    Praefectus Fabrum Senior Member Anime BlackJack Champion, Flash Poker Champion, Word Up Champion, Shape Game Champion, Snake Shooter Champion, Fishwater Challenge Champion, Rocket Racer MX Champion, Jukebox Hero Champion, My House Is Bigger Than Your House Champion, Funky Pong Champion, Cutie Quake Champion, Fling The Cow Champion, Tiger Punch Champion, Virus Champion, Solitaire Champion, Worm Race Champion, Rope Walker Champion, Penguin Pass Champion, Skate Park Champion, Watch Out Champion, Lawn Pac Champion, Weapons Of Mass Destruction Champion, Skate Boarder Champion, Lane Bowling Champion, Bugz Champion, Makai Grand Prix 2 Champion, White Van Man Champion, Parachute Panic Champion, BlackJack Champion, Stans Ski Jumping Champion, Smaugs Treasure Champion, Sofa Longjump Champion Seamus Fermanagh's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Location
    Latibulm mali regis in muris.
    Posts
    11,454

    Default A Thank You, on the Occasion of Veteran's -- Armistice Day

    All gave some; some gave all.

    Today is the day set aside by many countries, at least in the West, to honor their military veterans. As you students of history will know, the day was chosen because at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 an armistice brought and end to the active fighting in "The War to End All Wars." We all know the sad irony of that label.

    I hope you will join me in honoring those veterans -- living and among the majority -- for their service. Most of you, rightly, find war outside of video games to be abhorrent and many of you disdain the very idea of nationalism. You may be leery of a day which seems to celebrate militarism and violence, but that is only the trappings of service that make such rollicking movies and stirring stories.

    We honor their service.

    Many volunteered while others were forced to serve -- but they served. Some served bravely and beyond all expectations, others poorly, not quite able to cope with the horrors they faced. Most just served. Dreaming of home, of a return to their lives, of the communities they had left behind. Some never returned home, others returned scarred and battered, most returned unscathed -- but not unmarked. We asked of them a service -- to take up arms and face others, mostly like themselves and sometimes to harm those other selves on the far side of some 'front line.' We asked, they served....and they always bear the burden of that service for us.

    So I ask you to honor their service. Not the jingoisms of their era, or the causes they served, or the sometimes silly notions that drove this conflict or that. I ask you to honor their service to their communities; rendered in good faith at a price so that others in that community need not bear it.

    All gave some; some gave all.



    To the veterans among us, I thank you. On at least one level, your service, you are a better person than I. To you, and all those others who have joined the majority, I wish Godspeed....and peace.

    JEM3



    And now a few gems from others much more creative than I:

    McRae's "In Flanders Fields" (recited on youtube)

    Gelentke's "To Soldiers of the Great War" (English text, did not find the original in German; pm me with link and I will attach)

    Bogel's "And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda" sung by John Williamson

    Gannon/Crosby's 1943 hit "I'll Be Home for Christmas"

    Waters' "Gunners Dream"

    and my personal favorite,

    Bogel's "Green Fields of France"
    Last edited by Seamus Fermanagh; 11-12-2014 at 06:12.
    "The only way that has ever been discovered to have a lot of people cooperate together voluntarily is through the free market. And that's why it's so essential to preserving individual freedom.” -- Milton Friedman

    "The urge to save humanity is almost always a false front for the urge to rule." -- H. L. Mencken

    Members thankful for this post (4):



  2. #2
    Iron Fist Senior Member Husar's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2003
    Location
    Germany
    Posts
    15,617

    Default Re: A Thank You, on the Occasion of Veteran's -- Armistice Day

    I have mixed feelings about this, especially since this tradition seems to be something from / for the victorious countries and here in the Rhineland particularly, it marks the beginning of the carnival season. Carnival itself started here as a mockery of Prussian militarism (so apparently before that war that ended on the same date). Nowadays carnival is mostly very silly though, so I will use the opportunity to thank those who served for good reasons and especially the ones who kept their heart and also served the communities in the countries they were stationed in. We have one on this board who impressed me with what he tried to do for the children in Afghanistan. For this kind of service everyone can and should be thankful IMO.


    "Topic is tired and needs a nap." - Tosa Inu

  3. #3
    Senior Member Senior Member Brenus's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    Wokingham
    Posts
    3,523

    Default Re: A Thank You, on the Occasion of Veteran's -- Armistice Day

    Think of them. They went to fish in the same river than me, in the same place, under the same trees. They walked the same path in the forest, smelt the same flowers or the smell of the ground after the storm, after the thunder and the lightnings, had the same sun on their shoulders at the same place, felt the rain and took shelter in the same barn or tree, near the river, at the foot of the hill, near the forest. They watched the sunsets on the pearls of water on the spiderwebs glittering in the new sun. They were the same age than me when I did all these.
    The 4th of August 1914, the bells rung and they went by foot, as the peasants they were (and I was) to the answer to the call to arms.
    Most of them never came back, some who came back never really did.

    "Honneur et Patrie" is on our flags.


    http://soutien67.free.fr/histoire/pa..._image_WW1.png

    Song: Death. Unfortunatly with stupid pictures.
    http://youtu.be/QyHqUdvRrrE?list=RDQyHqUdvRrrE

    http://static.lexpress.fr/medias_782...18_4005797.jpg

    Song: Can't translate. Like March of the poorest/destitute.
    http://youtu.be/dMcBeP-qV1s

    http://www.lepoint.fr/images/2013/11...pg_1865003.JPG

    To the Dead
    http://youtu.be/NPTkrUt1m3I
    Last edited by Brenus; 11-11-2014 at 20:00.
    Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. Voltaire.

    "I've been in few famous last stands, lad, and they're butcher shops. That's what Blouse's leading you into, mark my words. What'll you lot do then? We've had a few scuffles, but that's not war. Think you'll be man enough to stand, when the metal meets the meat?"
    "You did, sarge", said Polly." You said you were in few last stands."
    "Yeah, lad. But I was holding the metal"
    Sergeant Major Jackrum 10th Light Foot Infantery Regiment "Inns-and-Out"

    Member thankful for this post:



  4. #4
    Horse Archer Senior Member Sarmatian's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Novi Sad, Serbia
    Posts
    4,315

    Default Re: A Thank You, on the Occasion of Veteran's -- Armistice Day

    Quote Originally Posted by Seamus Fermanagh View Post
    So I ask you to honor their service. Not the jingoisms of their era, or the causes they served, or the sometimes silly notions that drove this conflict or that. I ask you to honor their service to their communities; rendered in good faith at a price so that others in that community need not bear it.
    I can get behind that.

  5. #5
    has a Senior Member HoreTore's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Norway
    Posts
    12,014

    Default Re: A Thank You, on the Occasion of Veteran's -- Armistice Day

    I'll happily honour a conscript; never an enlisted man.
    Still maintain that crying on the pitch should warrant a 3 match ban

  6. #6
    Member Member Crandar's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Alpine Subtundra
    Posts
    920

    Default Re: A Thank You, on the Occasion of Veteran's -- Armistice Day

    Word War I is fondly remained here. We had fewer dead than the Austrorussians had in Austerlitz, but our ccountry was doubled in size.
    Something like Bulgaria in the second one.

  7. #7
    Voluntary Suspension Voluntary Suspension Philippus Flavius Homovallumus's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2005
    Location
    Isca
    Posts
    13,477

    Default Re: A Thank You, on the Occasion of Veteran's -- Armistice Day

    Quote Originally Posted by HoreTore View Post
    I'll happily honour a conscript; never an enlisted man.
    If you can't be respectful, bog off.

    All my relative who were fit for it enlisted, because they knew they had to expose themselves to the same dangers everyone else was facing.

    My Great Grandfather was enlisted in the army before the war and my Grandfather was a reservist, he spent the entire war protecting the South of England from German Bombers as ADGB, he had bombs dropped on him more than once and he went to his grave with shapnel still in his spine.

    Edit: Point of Order, the Armistice came into effect at 1100 11/11/1914, not 1111 11/11/1914.
    Last edited by Philippus Flavius Homovallumus; 11-12-2014 at 03:33.
    "If it wears trousers generally I don't pay attention."

    [IMG]https://img197.imageshack.us/img197/4917/logoromans23pd.jpg[/IMG]

  8. #8
    Praefectus Fabrum Senior Member Anime BlackJack Champion, Flash Poker Champion, Word Up Champion, Shape Game Champion, Snake Shooter Champion, Fishwater Challenge Champion, Rocket Racer MX Champion, Jukebox Hero Champion, My House Is Bigger Than Your House Champion, Funky Pong Champion, Cutie Quake Champion, Fling The Cow Champion, Tiger Punch Champion, Virus Champion, Solitaire Champion, Worm Race Champion, Rope Walker Champion, Penguin Pass Champion, Skate Park Champion, Watch Out Champion, Lawn Pac Champion, Weapons Of Mass Destruction Champion, Skate Boarder Champion, Lane Bowling Champion, Bugz Champion, Makai Grand Prix 2 Champion, White Van Man Champion, Parachute Panic Champion, BlackJack Champion, Stans Ski Jumping Champion, Smaugs Treasure Champion, Sofa Longjump Champion Seamus Fermanagh's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Location
    Latibulm mali regis in muris.
    Posts
    11,454

    Default Re: A Thank You, on the Occasion of Veteran's -- Armistice Day

    Quote Originally Posted by Philipvs Vallindervs Calicvla View Post
    If you can't be respectful, bog off.

    All my relative who were fit for it enlisted, because they knew they had to expose themselves to the same dangers everyone else was facing.

    My Great Grandfather was enlisted in the army before the war and my Grandfather was a reservist, he spent the entire war protecting the South of England from German Bombers as ADGB, he had bombs dropped on him more than once and he went to his grave with shapnel still in his spine.

    Edit: Point of Order, the Armistice came into effect at 1100 11/11/1914, not 1111 11/11/1914.
    I was unaware of that last. I will edit the OP to reflect the correct time.
    "The only way that has ever been discovered to have a lot of people cooperate together voluntarily is through the free market. And that's why it's so essential to preserving individual freedom.” -- Milton Friedman

    "The urge to save humanity is almost always a false front for the urge to rule." -- H. L. Mencken

  9. #9
    Needs more flowers Moderator drone's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2004
    Location
    Moral High Grounds
    Posts
    9,286

    Default Re: A Thank You, on the Occasion of Veteran's -- Armistice Day

    Quote Originally Posted by Philipvs Vallindervs Calicvla View Post
    Edit: Point of Order, the Armistice came into effect at 1100 11/11/1914, not 1111 11/11/1914.
    Short war then.
    The .Org's MTW Reference Guide Wiki - now taking comments, corrections, suggestions, and submissions

    If I werent playing games Id be killing small animals at a higher rate than I am now - SFTS
    Si je n'étais pas jouer à des jeux que je serais mort de petits animaux à un taux plus élevé que je suis maintenant - Louis VI The Fat

    "Why do you hate the extremely limited Spartan version of freedom?" - Lemur

    Member thankful for this post:



  10. #10
    Senior Member Senior Member Brenus's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    Wokingham
    Posts
    3,523

    Default Re: A Thank You, on the Occasion of Veteran's -- Armistice Day

    "I'll happily honour a conscript; never an enlisted man." So I suggest a trip to the Ossuaire of Douaumont (from "os", bones) where the un-identified remains of thousand are gathered, and start to pick which ones you will honour and the one you won't.

    www.verdun-douaumont.com/?lang=en

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douaumont_Ossuary
    Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. Voltaire.

    "I've been in few famous last stands, lad, and they're butcher shops. That's what Blouse's leading you into, mark my words. What'll you lot do then? We've had a few scuffles, but that's not war. Think you'll be man enough to stand, when the metal meets the meat?"
    "You did, sarge", said Polly." You said you were in few last stands."
    "Yeah, lad. But I was holding the metal"
    Sergeant Major Jackrum 10th Light Foot Infantery Regiment "Inns-and-Out"

    Member thankful for this post:



  11. #11
    Sovereign Oppressor Member TIE Fighter Shooter Champion, Turkey Shoot Champion, Juggler Champion Kralizec's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    Netherlands
    Posts
    5,812

    Default Re: A Thank You, on the Occasion of Veteran's -- Armistice Day

    Quote Originally Posted by drone View Post
    Short war then.


    Since I must apparently add three or more characters, this is a great thread with some interesting posts. WW1 is one of my favourite "chapters of history" even though my country pretty much sat on its ass during the whole ordeal.

  12. #12
    Iron Fist Senior Member Husar's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2003
    Location
    Germany
    Posts
    15,617

    Default Re: A Thank You, on the Occasion of Veteran's -- Armistice Day

    Quote Originally Posted by Greyblades View Post

    Wait are you condeming me specifically or making a general declaration? Assuming the former: I reject the implication that I'm fishing for compliments; I fully believe HoreTore is being an idiot and a combination of mental fatigue and uncertainty of his seriousness makes me unwilling to explain the numerous and obvious reasons he is being an idiot. That I have attracted ire while others doing the same thing have gained reverance is disconcerting enough to require comment.
    Are you a beggar? No? Then maybe the throwing some change part was a hint at hyperbole, or maybe it wasn't, confusing.

    As for ire and reverance, it's best to be humble in this popularity context. I can't even pull off hyperbole, humor, sarcasm, etc. myself so take it from someone with loads of experience that it is not worth getting worked up over. Just let the other pretend that you are a troll and keep "trolling" them. It's not like talking about an issue makes it go away, it just meakes everyone laugh at you or hate you even more.

    Montmorency has a point in that concepts are also volunteers in a way, because there are always other choices, such as working to abolish conscription, accepting the penalty for not going etc. See following statement.

    Quote Originally Posted by Philipvs Vallindervs Calicvla View Post
    All my relative who were fit for it enlisted, because they knew they had to expose themselves to the same dangers everyone else was facing.
    Dangers that only existed because people on the other side signed up to kill your relatives. And they only signed up because your older relatives had already signed up to kill them etc.
    One world government would solve these problems until we find aliens that sit on a load of oil.


    "Topic is tired and needs a nap." - Tosa Inu

  13. #13
    Old Town Road Senior Member Strike For The South's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Location
    Between Louis' sheets
    Posts
    10,369

    Default Re: A Thank You, on the Occasion of Veteran's -- Armistice Day

    Quote Originally Posted by HoreTore View Post
    I'll happily honour a conscript; never an enlisted man.
    Insert Jerking off gif here
    There, but for the grace of God, goes John Bradford

    My aim, then, was to whip the rebels, to humble their pride, to follow them to their inmost recesses, and make them fear and dread us. Fear is the beginning of wisdom.

    I am tired and sick of war. Its glory is all moonshine. It is only those who have neither fired a shot nor heard the shrieks and groans of the wounded who cry aloud for blood, for vengeance, for desolation.

    Member thankful for this post:



  14. #14
    master of the pwniverse Member Fragony's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2003
    Location
    The EUSSR
    Posts
    30,680

    Default Re: A Thank You, on the Occasion of Veteran's -- Armistice Day

    My favorite https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rgtsg7QXV7Y

    Was it for this the clay grew tall?
    Oh what made fatuous sunbeams toil, to break earth's sleep at all?

    Powerfull.
    Last edited by Fragony; 11-12-2014 at 05:53.

  15. #15
    Member Member Greyblades's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    UK
    Posts
    8,408
    Blog Entries
    2

    Default Re: A Thank You, on the Occasion of Veteran's -- Armistice Day

    Quote Originally Posted by HoreTore View Post
    I'll happily honour a conscript; never an enlisted man.
    Others may dance around it but I cant be bothered; you're being a bleeding idiot.
    Being better than the worst does not inherently make you good. But being better than the rest lets you brag.


    Quote Originally Posted by Strike For The South View Post
    Don't be scared that you don't freak out. Be scared when you don't care about freaking out
    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

  16. #16
    master of the pwniverse Member Fragony's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2003
    Location
    The EUSSR
    Posts
    30,680

    Default Re: A Thank You, on the Occasion of Veteran's -- Armistice Day

    Talk about bleeding, kinda angry at everything lately? It should take no more than 3 days for most women usually, or aren't you female but a man who is permanently having a period? EVOLUTION! I am sure everybody understands how you feel.

    Chocolate ice is on me.

  17. #17
    Member Member Greyblades's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    UK
    Posts
    8,408
    Blog Entries
    2

    Default Re: A Thank You, on the Occasion of Veteran's -- Armistice Day

    Huh, when Strike does it he's thanked, when I do it I get hounded by a teenage albatross.

    Is there something about texans that makes bluntness charming?
    Being better than the worst does not inherently make you good. But being better than the rest lets you brag.


    Quote Originally Posted by Strike For The South View Post
    Don't be scared that you don't freak out. Be scared when you don't care about freaking out
    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

  18. #18
    Hǫrðar Member Viking's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Location
    Hordaland, Norway
    Posts
    6,449

    Default Re: A Thank You, on the Occasion of Veteran's -- Armistice Day

    Quote Originally Posted by HoreTore View Post
    I'll happily honour a conscript; never an enlisted man.
    The wonders of pure idealism.
    Runes for good luck:

    [1 - exp(i*2π)]^-1

  19. #19
    has a Senior Member HoreTore's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Norway
    Posts
    12,014

    Default Re: A Thank You, on the Occasion of Veteran's -- Armistice Day

    Quote Originally Posted by Viking View Post
    The wonders of pure idealism.
    Pah.

    You're already narrowing it down by limiting the memorial to just soldiers, and not the general populations. If you're going to narrow down the scope, you might as well narrow it down to such a scale that you don't end up celebrating a million dirtbags in the process.

    I'll happily honour those soldiers who deserve to be honoured. There have been several good men. There have also been hordes of absolute scum. I'm not honouring those.


    And besides - Norway was indeed "pure idealism" during ww1...
    Last edited by HoreTore; 11-12-2014 at 21:45.
    Still maintain that crying on the pitch should warrant a 3 match ban

  20. #20
    Hǫrðar Member Viking's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Location
    Hordaland, Norway
    Posts
    6,449

    Default Re: A Thank You, on the Occasion of Veteran's -- Armistice Day

    Quote Originally Posted by HoreTore View Post
    Pah.

    You're already narrowing it down by limiting the memorial to just soldiers, and not the general populations. If you're going to narrow down the scope, you might as well narrow it down to such a scale that you don't end up celebrating a million dirtbags in the process.

    I'll happily honour those soldiers who deserve to be honoured. There have been several good men. There have also been hordes of absolute scum. I'm not honouring those.


    And besides - Norway was indeed "pure idealism" during ww1...
    It seemed to me that you were coming from the "if everybody refused to go to war, there would be no war"-angle.

    I'm not taking part in any honouring. If I do something, it's typically either because I have to do it, or because I believe it's the right thing to do - and in either case, expecting thanks becomes meaningless, and therefore I am not overly inclined to give them, either.
    Last edited by Viking; 11-12-2014 at 22:42.
    Runes for good luck:

    [1 - exp(i*2π)]^-1

    Members thankful for this post (2):



  21. #21
    Ranting madman of the .org Senior Member Fly Shoot Champion, Helicopter Champion, Pedestrian Killer Champion, Sharpshooter Champion, NFS Underground Champion Rhyfelwyr's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Location
    In a hopeless place with no future
    Posts
    8,646

    Default Re: A Thank You, on the Occasion of Veteran's -- Armistice Day

    Quote Originally Posted by HoreTore View Post
    Pah.

    You're already narrowing it down by limiting the memorial to just soldiers, and not the general populations. If you're going to narrow down the scope, you might as well narrow it down to such a scale that you don't end up celebrating a million dirtbags in the process.
    You can't dig yourself out that easily. There have been all sorts of memorials, documentaries, celebrations etc over here relating to the nurses that served on the battlefields, the women who worked the factories, etc.

    Why can't you just honour the bravery and sacrifice of millions of ordinary people?
    At the end of the day politics is just trash compared to the Gospel.

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Single Sign On provided by vBSSO