I'll just leave this here if you don't mind

[addjunkie]

My paternal grandather lost an arm & a leg in France in WW1 at a very young age (he died in 1962, before I was born)..... but he survived.

By the time I was a young child in the early 70's, there was plenty of WWII veterans still alive and around.... but being of that stoic generation, you never really heard it spoken of, and it became (to a child) something that seemed to have happened a very very long time ago, and its gravity didn't really register until much older.

All these decades on, and despite all efforts to Remember Them - you can see that the younger generations largely are so remote & disconnected that they think of the World Wars as like a movie they saw once.

I can remember my Grandmothers two brothers talking about “lost friends” while sat drinking whisky, one had tried to join up lying about his age at the end of WW1, went to Spain, then in the Second Driving tanks. Tears rolling down his face as he talked! Cant really remember what they were talking about, but Ill never forget the emotion.

Todays Yoof though not all bad as some think, have little clew what sacrifices these folks made so-they could debate what gender they want to be this week, or what protest drivel they want to get them selves involved in. They fought for freedom unfortunately wasted and abused by many!

 

[Eric the chicken]

I’m off to Crete next month, for the annual commemoration of the German invasion in 1941. This will be our eighth trip. We flew three times but the last four, and this time we’re driving. The first few years we. were fortunate to meet several veterans, both British, Australian and New Zealanders. However most have now passed. The Cretan people make us very welcome and there are s real ceremonies at various locations. It’s a great experience.

 

[mcostello]

Thank You all for Your service.

 

[selectedgrub]

Ahh , thought it was the 25th.

Correct but any day we can remember them, share photos, stories and thoughts.
Keep them in our hearts.

 

[Bullet2012]

One of the last passed away,

One of the last. Joe Catttini WW2 veteran.

Joe Cattini: D-Day veteran dies months after 100th birthday

Joe Cattini served for five years from 1941 and landed on Gold Beach on D-Day as a bombardier.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[selectedgrub]

One of the last passed away,

RIP heros