Remembrance Day

[PJ Hardtack]

Remembrance day, Veterans Day, Armistice Day - call it what you will, it's always a sad day for me. Hearing The Last Post, The Lament and Reveille reduce me to rubble.
As a Cadet, I was on several Parades, as a Regular I was on 12 and two as a Reservist. I can count on one hand the days when it wasn't pouring rain or freezing cold; appropriate for the occasion. I was a Cold War Warrior, never having fired a shot in anger, and I often felt a fraud in front of the be-medalled Vets.
Saddest thing about them are their faces; tired, haggard, closer to the end of their lives than the beginning, but proud of what they did and those they served with. I sometimes think the really lucky ones are those that died, spared the indignity of old age, often in poor circumstances, if not abject poverty.

I watched a couple of episodes of "Band of Brothers" today and my wife and I celebrated by going for a jog with the dogs, twice; once in the morning and once in the afternoon. I have the health and fitness and I believe the best way to remember the sacrifice is to live well.

"And yes, it's true what they say
of war and war's alarms;
But oh, that I was young again
and held her in my arms ..."

[wildman1]

   WM

[Garand]

Its a time to remember those that went before us, those that we served with, those that are now serving and time to think of those that will serve in the future keeping us safe.

Actually because of the weather this weekend, my timings got screwed up and I ended up shooting an indoor cowboy match (no shotguns) in Tompkins Sk. We took at break at 11:00, it was a different type of service to say the least.

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[PJ Hardtack]

Saw a doc last night entitled "Spitfire Girls", the story of the women from 28 countries that flew aircraft from the factories in Britain to wherever they were needed.
They flew ALL types - single engine, multi-engine, bombers (no co-pilot!) and even the Hurricanes and Spits. The first to fly a Hurricane pronounced it "A lovely little aeroplane.", after doing some low level aerobatics with it.
One delivered a multi-engine bomber and when she climbed out of it, waiting pilots searched the aircraft looking for the pilot, refusing to believe that she flew it.

They were given a manual which covered all the types and they would refer to it in flight so as to know how to lower landing gear, handling characteristics, etc., They had no radios and flew VFR in all weathers, many lost to cloud banks. One knew the terrain well from pre-war hiking and literally flew at ground height to get to her destination.

These were not the same girls that flew aircraft across the Atlantic/polar route from the USA. That's another story .....

[Garand]

It has been a week of really good TV on the History Channel