What do we remember?

Today is Remembrance Sunday and it marks a moment when the Nation comes together at 11am to REMEMBER those who have made the supreme sacrifice whilst defending our Country. It’s always a solemn occasion and there are some incredibly poignant images. Whether it is the National Remembrance Ceremony at the War Memorial in Whitehall London, or all the thousands of local Remembrance Ceremonies, it is a pause in our lives when many of us focus on the sacrifices made by our forefathers. But what EXACTLY do we remember?

Lost lives, yes. During the past two world wars around 1 million people serving in the Military lost their lives. WW1 was the real killing time when 886,000 British military personnel died, which was 6% of the adult male population.The civilian death toll was around 107,000. The loss of such a vast swathe of our young men is something that cannot be forgotten. Harry Patch was the last surviving soldier to fight in the trenches, Patch was born in 1898 and he died in 2009 at the age of 111. He was a private in the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry and fought in the Battle of Passchendaele. No one now survives but their memory endures. It is said around 70,000 veterans from WW2 survive although their average age is 98. In the next decade most of them will be gone too. The tide of time sweeps us all away eventually but there is something so savage about war and how people die that should make us stop and think.

The thing we should most reflect on WHY did they make the sacrifice of their lives and in most cases it was because they wanted to serve “King and Country” - it was a sense of DUTY that drove them. Some might suggest that this was idealistic but few would deny the courage that characterised them.

Was the sacrifice worth it? That depends on us - the generations that were gifted freedom and liberty by their actions. Paying homage one day a year won’t cut it. Not when our country is literally being invaded by the day by those from foreign lands, many of whom have zero right to reside in the UK.

It seems to me that there is a pent up anger amongst many British people and they are becoming more assertive of their proud history and heritage. One such example of this is the warm reception afforded Northern Ireland Orangemen and bandsmen who paraded the streets of London to mark Remembrance Day this weekend. This too is a proud instance of unbowed pride in the amazing achievements of this country. At a time when Islam and the left seek to decry all we achieved together we must unite against these forces and in that act we truly remember the sacrifice of those who have gone before us.

Every day is Remembrance Day!