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CAMP ARIFJAN, Kuwait - In a scene played across the world, subjects of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II observed two minutes of silence while displaying poppies during a somber ceremony to remember those who have sacrificed their lives for the Commonwealth.
British soldiers and contractors observed Remembrance Sunday, known as British Veterans’ Day to Americans, in the U.K. Operational Support Detachment compound on Camp Arifjan Nov. 14.
After millions of Americans observed Veterans’ Day Nov. 11, the British patriots observed two minutes of silence during Remembrance Sunday in memory of service members who have fallen in service to their country.
“Some people commemorate on November the eleventh while other people commemorate on Remembrance Sunday, which is the second Sunday in November,” said British Lt. Col. Mike Duff, British Army liaison to Third Army from Salisbury, Wiltshire.
Many British subjects observe Remembrance Sunday; although, ceremonies are also held the eleventh hour of the eleventh day in November to coincide with the armistice that ended World War I, said Duff, who gave an address during the ceremony.
British and American Forces suffered many thousands of casualties during that war and millions more were affected.
“We not only remember our fallen, but also those whom have been affected by war,” Duff said.
In memory of those lost in the trenches during World War I, and as a symbol of the regeneration of life, British patriots display the poppy flower.
“The poppy was the first flower to grow almost immediately after the cessation of hostilities,” Duff said. “The battlefields very quickly became covered in a carpet of red, which seemed apt for the bloodshed. The poppy was adopted as a symbol throughout the Commonwealth after that.”
British soldiers shared what Remembrance Day means to them.
“It means quite a lot to me,” said British Sgt. Alastair Allardyce, a logistics noncommissioned officer from Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
“It means I remember a lot of my colleagues who are currently serving,” he said. “It reminds me of family lost and to consider the sacrifices of the past.”
American service members attended the ceremony to show support to their allies.
“The key thing to remember is that we are a coalition. We’re not here alone. We’re not here by ourselves,” said Capt. Eric Booker, a space operations officer from Rochester, N.Y.
“I’m glad I came because I learned how much work the United Kingdom’s military has put in around the world. It was definitely enlightening for me.”
British soldiers were appreciative.
“I’d like to thank our coalition friends, especially here in [Camp] Arifjan, for the support they’ve given us,” Allardyce said.
After his address, Duff noted British forces are currently serving in the Falkland Islands, Cyprus, Sierra Leone, Afghanistan, Iraq, Kuwait and anywhere else the United Kingdom has interests.
For those who have given the greatest sacrifice, British and American, their memory will endure.
“They shall not grow old as we who are left grow old … we will remember them. Gentlemen, two minutes of silence,” Duff said to close the ceremony. “God save the Queen.”
| Date Taken: | 11.14.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 11.18.2010 03:01 |
| Story ID: | 60377 |
| Location: | CAMP ARIFJAN, KW |
| Web Views: | 32 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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