Lest we forget
 

Lest we forget

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning,
We will remember them.

For all the fallen Cameraden
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEIME4EoaVM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5j-9cCHkq8

RE: Lest we forget
 

Nicht vergessen.

In whatever Army they served.... for whatever reaosn they fought. Every country should honor their Veterans.

PS I had to do some digging but here are a few pix from my Dad's photo album he made in Germany and France during the war. Luckily he was the only son of an only son, (as am I) and he went to Europe during the Korean War. These are from 1952 & 53. Dad died 29 years ago. I was 23 and I miss him every damned day!

RE: Lest we forget
 

 Amen.

RE: Lest we forget
 

Amen, <div>
</div><div>To the fallen of all sides. They fought with valor, at the bidding of politicians.<div>
</div><div>May they rest in peace! </div></div><div><div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" align="center"><font style="font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', adobe-times, Times; line-height: 20px; min-height: 20px;" color="#000000" class="size14 TimesRoman14" face="'Times New Roman', Times, serif"><u>
</u></font></div><div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" align="center"><font style="font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', adobe-times, Times; line-height: 20px; min-height: 20px;" color="#000000" class="size14 TimesRoman14" face="'Times New Roman', Times, serif"><u>
</u></font></div><div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" align="center"><font style="font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', adobe-times, Times; line-height: 20px; min-height: 20px;" color="#000000" class="size14 TimesRoman14" face="'Times New Roman', Times, serif"><u>JUST A COMMON SOLDIER</u>
</font></div><div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" align="center"><font style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', adobe-times, Times; line-height: 19px; min-height: 19px;" color="#000000" class="size12 TimesRoman12" face="'Times New Roman', Times, serif">(A Soldier Died Today)
</font></div><div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" align="center"><font style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', adobe-times, Times; line-height: 19px; min-height: 19px;" color="#000000" class="size12 TimesRoman12" face="'Times New Roman', Times, serif">by A. Lawrence Vaincourt
</font></div><div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" align="left"><font style="font-size: 13px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', adobe-times, Times; line-height: 15px; min-height: 15px;" color="#000000" class="size10 TimesRoman10" face="'Times New Roman', Times, serif">
</font></div><div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" align="center"><font style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', adobe-times, Times; line-height: 19px; min-height: 19px;" color="#000000" class="size12 TimesRoman12" face="'Times New Roman', Times, serif">He was getting  old and paunchy and his hair was falling fast,
</font></div><div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" align="center"><font style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', adobe-times, Times; line-height: 19px; min-height: 19px;" color="#000000" class="size12 TimesRoman12" face="'Times New Roman', Times, serif">And he sat around the Legion, telling stories of the past.
</font></div><div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" align="center"><font style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', adobe-times, Times; line-height: 19px; min-height: 19px;" color="#000000" class="size12 TimesRoman12" face="'Times New Roman', Times, serif">Of a war that he had fought in and the deeds that he had done,
</font></div><div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" align="center"><font style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', adobe-times, Times; line-height: 19px; min-height: 19px;" color="#000000" class="size12 TimesRoman12" face="'Times New Roman', Times, serif">In his exploits with his buddies; they were heroes, every one.
</font></div><div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" align="center"><font style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', adobe-times, Times; line-height: 19px; min-height: 19px;" color="#000000" class="size12 TimesRoman12" face="'Times New Roman', Times, serif">
</font></div><div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" align="center"><font style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', adobe-times, Times; line-height: 19px; min-height: 19px;" color="#000000" class="size12 TimesRoman12" face="'Times New Roman', Times, serif">And tho' sometimes, to his neighbors, his tales became a joke,
</font></div><div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" align="center"><font style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', adobe-times, Times; line-height: 19px; min-height: 19px;" color="#000000" class="size12 TimesRoman12" face="'Times New Roman', Times, serif">All his Legion buddies listened, for they knew whereof he spoke.
</font></div><div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" align="center"><font style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', adobe-times, Times; line-height: 19px; min-height: 19px;" color="#000000" class="size12 TimesRoman12" face="'Times New Roman', Times, serif">But we'll hear his tales no longer for old Bill has passed away,
</font></div><div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" align="center"><font style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', adobe-times, Times; line-height: 19px; min-height: 19px;" color="#000000" class="size12 TimesRoman12" face="'Times New Roman', Times, serif">And the world's a little poorer, for a soldier died today.
</font></div><div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" align="center"><font style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', adobe-times, Times; line-height: 19px; min-height: 19px;" color="#000000" class="size12 TimesRoman12" face="'Times New Roman', Times, serif">
</font></div><div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" align="center"><font style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', adobe-times, Times; line-height: 19px; min-height: 19px;" color="#000000" class="size12 TimesRoman12" face="'Times New Roman', Times, serif">He will not be mourned by many, just his children and his wife,
</font></div><div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" align="center"><font style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', adobe-times, Times; line-height: 19px; min-height: 19px;" color="#000000" class="size12 TimesRoman12" face="'Times New Roman', Times, serif">For he lived an ordinary and quite uneventful life.
</font></div><div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" align="center"><font style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', adobe-times, Times; line-height: 19px; min-height: 19px;" color="#000000" class="size12 TimesRoman12" face="'Times New Roman', Times, serif">Held a job and raised a family, quietly going his own way,
</font></div><div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" align="center"><font style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', adobe-times, Times; line-height: 19px; min-height: 19px;" color="#000000" class="size12 TimesRoman12" face="'Times New Roman', Times, serif">And the world won't note his passing, though a soldier died today</font><font style="font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', adobe-times, Times; line-height: 20px; min-height: 20px;" color="#000000" class="size14 TimesRoman14" face="'Times New Roman', Times, serif">.
</font></div><div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" align="left"><font style="font-size: 16px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, adobe-helvetica, 'Arial Narrow'; line-height: 18px; min-height: 18px;" color="#000000" class="size12 Helvetica12" face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif">
</font></div><div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" align="center"><font style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', adobe-times, Times; line-height: 19px; min-height: 19px;" color="#000000" class="size12 TimesRoman12" face="'Times New Roman', Times, serif">When politicians leave this earth, their bodies lie in state,
</font></div><div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" align="center"><font style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', adobe-times, Times; line-height: 19px; min-height: 19px;" color="#000000" class="size12 TimesRoman12" face="'Times New Roman', Times, serif">While thousands note their passing and proclaim that they were great.
</font></div><div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" align="center"><font style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', adobe-times, Times; line-height: 19px; min-height: 19px;" color="#000000" class="size12 TimesRoman12" face="'Times New Roman', Times, serif">Papers tell their whole life stories, from the time that they were young,
</font></div><div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" align="center"><font style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', adobe-times, Times; line-height: 19px; min-height: 19px;" color="#000000" class="size12 TimesRoman12" face="'Times New Roman', Times, serif">But the passing of a soldier goes unnoticed and unsung.
</font></div><div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" align="center"><font style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', adobe-times, Times; line-height: 19px; min-height: 19px;" color="#000000" class="size12 TimesRoman12" face="'Times New Roman', Times, serif">
</font></div><div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" align="center"><font style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', adobe-times, Times; line-height: 19px; min-height: 19px;" color="#000000" class="size12 TimesRoman12" face="'Times New Roman', Times, serif">Is the greatest contribution to the welfare of our land
</font></div><div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" align="center"><font style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', adobe-times, Times; line-height: 19px; min-height: 19px;" color="#000000" class="size12 TimesRoman12" face="'Times New Roman', Times, serif">A guy who breaks his promises and cons his fellow man?
</font></div><div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" align="center"><font style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', adobe-times, Times; line-height: 19px; min-height: 19px;" color="#000000" class="size12 TimesRoman12" face="'Times New Roman', Times, serif">Or the ordinary fellow who, in times of war and strife,
</font></div><div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" align="center"><font style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', adobe-times, Times; line-height: 19px; min-height: 19px;" color="#000000" class="size12 TimesRoman12" face="'Times New Roman', Times, serif">Goes off to serve his Country and offers up his life?
</font></div><div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" align="center"><font style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', adobe-times, Times; line-height: 19px; min-height: 19px;" color="#000000" class="size12 TimesRoman12" face="'Times New Roman', Times, serif">
</font></div><div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" align="center"><font style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', adobe-times, Times; line-height: 19px; min-height: 19px;" color="#000000" class="size12 TimesRoman12" face="'Times New Roman', Times, serif">A politician's stipend and the style in which he lives
</font></div><div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" align="center"><font style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', adobe-times, Times; line-height: 19px; min-height: 19px;" color="#000000" class="size12 TimesRoman12" face="'Times New Roman', Times, serif">Are sometimes disproportionate to the service that he gives.
</font></div><div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" align="center"><font style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', adobe-times, Times; line-height: 19px; min-height: 19px;" color="#000000" class="size12 TimesRoman12" face="'Times New Roman', Times, serif">While the ordinary soldier, who offered up his all,
</font></div><div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" align="center"><font style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', adobe-times, Times; line-height: 19px; min-height: 19px;" color="#000000" class="size12 TimesRoman12" face="'Times New Roman', Times, serif">Is paid off with a medal and perhaps, a pension small.
</font></div><div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" align="center"><font style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', adobe-times, Times; line-height: 19px; min-height: 19px;" color="#000000" class="size12 TimesRoman12" face="'Times New Roman', Times, serif">
</font></div><div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" align="center"><font style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', adobe-times, Times; line-height: 19px; min-height: 19px;" color="#000000" class="size12 TimesRoman12" face="'Times New Roman', Times, serif">It's so easy to forget them for it was so long ago,
</font></div><div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" align="center"><font style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', adobe-times, Times; line-height: 19px; min-height: 19px;" color="#000000" class="size12 TimesRoman12" face="'Times New Roman', Times, serif">That the old Bills of our Country went to battle, but we know
</font></div><div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" align="center"><font style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', adobe-times, Times; line-height: 19px; min-height: 19px;" color="#000000" class="size12 TimesRoman12" face="'Times New Roman', Times, serif">It was not the politicians, with their compromise and ploys,
</font></div><div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" align="center"><font style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', adobe-times, Times; line-height: 19px; min-height: 19px;" color="#000000" class="size12 TimesRoman12" face="'Times New Roman', Times, serif">Who won for us the freedom that our Country now enjoys.
</font></div><div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" align="center"><font style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', adobe-times, Times; line-height: 19px; min-height: 19px;" color="#000000" class="size12 TimesRoman12" face="'Times New Roman', Times, serif">
</font></div><div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" align="center"><font style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', adobe-times, Times; line-height: 19px; min-height: 19px;" color="#000000" class="size12 TimesRoman12" face="'Times New Roman', Times, serif">Should you find yourself in danger, with your enemies at hand,
</font></div><div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" align="center"><font style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', adobe-times, Times; line-height: 19px; min-height: 19px;" color="#000000" class="size12 TimesRoman12" face="'Times New Roman', Times, serif">Would you want a politician with his ever-shifting stand?
</font></div><div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" align="center"><font style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', adobe-times, Times; line-height: 19px; min-height: 19px;" color="#000000" class="size12 TimesRoman12" face="'Times New Roman', Times, serif">Or would you prefer a soldier, who has sworn to defend
</font></div><div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" align="center"><font style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', adobe-times, Times; line-height: 19px; min-height: 19px;" color="#000000" class="size12 TimesRoman12" face="'Times New Roman', Times, serif">His home, his kin and Country and would fight until the end?
</font></div><div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" align="center"><font style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', adobe-times, Times; line-height: 19px; min-height: 19px;" color="#000000" class="size12 TimesRoman12" face="'Times New Roman', Times, serif">
</font></div><div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" align="center"><font style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', adobe-times, Times; line-height: 19px; min-height: 19px;" color="#000000" class="size12 TimesRoman12" face="'Times New Roman', Times, serif">He was just a common soldier and his ranks are growing thin,
</font></div><div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" align="center"><font style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', adobe-times, Times; line-height: 19px; min-height: 19px;" color="#000000" class="size12 TimesRoman12" face="'Times New Roman', Times, serif">But his presence should remind us we may need his like again.
</font></div><div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" align="center"><font style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', adobe-times, Times; line-height: 19px; min-height: 19px;" color="#000000" class="size12 TimesRoman12" face="'Times New Roman', Times, serif">For when countries are in conflict, then we find the soldier's part
</font></div><div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" align="center"><font style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', adobe-times, Times; line-height: 19px; min-height: 19px;" color="#000000" class="size12 TimesRoman12" face="'Times New Roman', Times, serif">Is to clean up all the troubles that the politicians start.
</font></div><div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" align="center"><font style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', adobe-times, Times; line-height: 19px; min-height: 19px;" color="#000000" class="size12 TimesRoman12" face="'Times New Roman', Times, serif">
</font></div><div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" align="center"><font style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', adobe-times, Times; line-height: 19px; min-height: 19px;" color="#000000" class="size12 TimesRoman12" face="'Times New Roman', Times, serif">If we cannot do him honor while he's here to hear the praise,
</font></div><div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" align="center"><font style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', adobe-times, Times; line-height: 19px; min-height: 19px;" color="#000000" class="size12 TimesRoman12" face="'Times New Roman', Times, serif">Then at least let's give him homage at the ending of his days.
</font></div><div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" align="center"><font style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', adobe-times, Times; line-height: 19px; min-height: 19px;" color="#000000" class="size12 TimesRoman12" face="'Times New Roman', Times, serif">Perhaps just a simple headline in a paper that would say,
</font></div><div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" align="center"><font style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', adobe-times, Times; line-height: 19px; min-height: 19px;" color="#000000" class="size12 TimesRoman12" face="'Times New Roman', Times, serif">Our Country is in mourning, for a soldier died today.
</font></div><div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" align="center"><font style="font-size: 16px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, adobe-helvetica, 'Arial Narrow'; line-height: 18px; min-height: 18px;" color="#000000" class="size12 Helvetica12" face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif">
</font></div><div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" align="center"><font style="font-size: 16px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, adobe-helvetica, 'Arial Narrow'; line-height: 18px; min-height: 18px;" color="#000000" class="size12 Helvetica12" face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif">
</font></div><div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;" align="center"><font style="font-size: 16px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, adobe-helvetica, 'Arial Narrow'; line-height: 18px; min-height: 18px;" color="#000000" class="size12 Helvetica12" face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif">© 1987 A. Lawrence Vaincourt
</font></div></div><div>
</div><div>
</div><div>Love You Dad!</div><div>
</div><div>Stewart Jnr</div>

RE: Lest we forget
 

Amen.

I am missing my Dad. RAF veteran that we lost a few years ago.

RE: Lest we forget
 

Me too, Dan. I lost him in 2000. I miss him every day.  Theya re all owed a debt we cannot repay.

RE: Lest we forget
 

Pity we don't honor our veterans like they honor theirs here.

This Veterans Day was originally to honor the dead from the Great War, the War to End All Wars. The eleventh minute of the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month the guns fell silent on the Western Front. Right. We're still fighting.

RE: Lest we forget
 

And some of us never come home, one way or the other. God loves all soldiers and hates all war.

RE: Lest we forget
 

I too miss my Dad who served WW2. He served with Shermans bravely. I think of him everyday and his comrads. RIP Dad. You did well in service of our country.

David

RE: Lest we forget
 

Being an only child, I miss my parents whether Veteran's Day or not. I think about my dad and what he must have seen in WWII. He never talked much about it, but what he did say hints at the horrible things he saw and had to go through. I still have his old tin mug with the clip on the back side where he engraved every place he went while over there. I remember him saying we took the Germans through the concentration camps and rubbed their noses in it. While it may not be fair and it may be sad, he came back home with a hatred for German people. While its not fair to the good ones, and there were many who didn't support hitler, I guess its understandable after what he had to go through.

RE: Lest we forget
 

I kmow what you guys mean.

Lost my Dad, earlier than some, in 1986.

He was RCNVR

<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">The RCNVR became the backbone of the Canadian Navy, recruiting</span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">officers</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">and</span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">sailors</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">for the Navy. The usefulness of the RCNVR was demonstrated in 1939, at the onset of the</span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">Second World War</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">, when the RCNVR was used to recruit and build the navy. By the end of the war, Canada had the third largest navy in the world, with a complement of nearly 100,000. Most of these men and women were members of the RCNVR.</span></span>

Funny how your prespective changes

When I was 10, from a kid's viewpoint in the early 1960's, it seemd WWII was fought by 40 year old men.

I just turned 60, I still have Dad's B&amp;W pictures from 1943 - 45, now its like; Man that's young, I wouldn't let a "kid"like that age drive my SUV around the block. But most were quite young, and had to grow up too fast.

RE: Lest we forget
 

To my late Dad, wounded at Pearl Harbor while on deck shooting with a .30 cal. carbine at attacking Japanese dive bombers.  To my Brother, who came back from Viet Nam with issues that eventually caused him to take his own life, and to my Son who was injured while serving in Desert Storm, I honor you and all those that have served our Country.  I have been the lucky one that for some reason drew a late lottery number in 1964 and did  not serve in the military.  I have been blessed to have a military family.  I hold in the highest esteem, those that have and are serving.  God Bless you. 

RE: Lest we forget
 

Thanks dad for your servicing WW2 as a infantryman serving in France and ending up in Germany. My dad never opened up too much until late in his life and I am sorry I never asked to learn more, but I know hewas inaudible number of battles anyways fighting with squad landline on the line, he was promoted to sergeant and served at the nazi trials protecting the judges.miss you dad

RE: Lest we forget
 

walk outside take a big breath of freedom then thank a vet with out them we would be speeking something other than english so thank the old and the new even the ones to come for they give it all for us AMEM

RE: Lest we forget
 

Im very fortunate to still have my dad...hes 88 now and served in the 29th Infantry at D-Day. He went all the way to Colongne. Thanks to all who serve now and served in the past. You are all the greatest.


"Rat"
(AKA "Normandyson")

RE: Lest we forget
 

For my Father, 1930 -1995 Korea, Uncle John 1929-1992 WWII, and Uncle Art 1931 -2005 Colonel. US Army ret., I miss all of you terribly. To all vets past and present Thank You

Mike                                                                           EOT

RE: Lest we forget
 

Of course there was Great War for them but only since 1941 . They dont remember that in fact WWII begun in 1939 - when they were also one of the agressors and occupants. 1.09. 1939 Germans invided one part Poland , then 17.09.1939 Soviets invided the second one (according to Ribentrop-Molotov pact).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_...e_Soviet_Union

30.11.1939 Soviets try to invided Finland.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winter_War

Since 1922 (Rapallo) till 1941 Germans and Soviets was constantly cooperating very close. So their "divorce" begun only in 1941.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Rapallo_(1922)

As its seen on attached photo, many of them still using red flag (with hammer and sickle) - symbol of comunistic totalitarism on the official celebrations. The symbols of the second - nazi (nazi=national sozialismus) - totalitarism in Germany are forbiden.

RE: Lest we forget
 

I know what you guys mean.

Lost my Dad, earlier than some, in 1986.

Glen


I feel your pain Glen. My dad is gone almost 30 years now. He was proud to have served and did enjoy the camaraderie and he loved being in Germany. Our family came from Saarbrucken. He really enjoyed the countryside and meeting the locals. His German was very rusty but he go along fine. He always had a bag of candy and chocolates for any kids they met. He loved to drive and loved snow. We were born in NY so drivng in the snow is a required skill. He loved to drive in the white stuff as do I.

RE: Lest we forget
 

Our veterans here march with the flag they fought under. The politics of the flag mean nothing to the veterans, whether they are marching under the red flag, the Russian Imperial Eagle, the white/blue/red, or the blue/yellow Ukrainian flag. The veterans are honored, not the political ideology of the flag, and we here, just as I did in USA and Germany, honor the VETERANS, not anything political. The attached photos are of the German Military Cemetery on the Yalta Road south of the Yalta Ring in the foothills of the south mountains above the coast. There's over 10.000 of them there, and more are buried there every year as they are found, with full military honors, as are more Russian boys buried with honors in the Old Post Road Cemetery overlooking Inkerman and at St. Nikolas as they are found. Eight months ago we put over 300 lads in the Old Post Road Cemetery. 4 years ago we put another 5 Russian lads at St. Nikolas....from the 1855 Krimea War.

My father died 8 years ago. He was E8, 101 Airborne, D Day, Market Garden, and Bastogne. Silver, two Bronze, and the Purple. When Ye'lean'chka and I go to the Veterans Day parades, I salute him....and all the other veterans, both with us and gone...... matters not who they fought for.