Armistice Day

Today marks the 100th anniversary of the Great War, the war to end all wars. The Armistice was signed at the "eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month" of 1918
It was fitting that President Emmanuel Macron spoke first as the Armistice was sign on November 11 at 11:00AM in Compiegne, France (about 45 miles NNE of Paris):

“The traces of this war never went away,” [Macron] said, referring to the Great War ― as it was known at the time ― being fueled in part by a rise in nationalism among Europe’s leading powers.
“The old demons are rising again,” Macron said. “We must reaffirm before our peoples our true and huge responsibility.”
Macron’s speech was seen by many as a repudiation of Trump’s “America First” policies and rhetoric, as well as the recent surge of nationalism seen in Europe and elsewhere.
“Patriotism is the exact opposite of nationalism. Nationalism is a betrayal of patriotism,” Macron said. “In saying ‘Our interests first, whatever happens to the others,’ you erase the most precious thing a nation can have, that which makes it live, that which causes it to be great and that which is most important: Its moral values.”

Trump called it a celebration - WTF! How do you celebrate the killing of millions of people you dumb fuck.

Yep, there is my President, showing up late because it was raining doing what he does best; to make a fool of himself all the while tearing down what is left of my Country's reputation in the world.

Can we get Macron to move over to the U.S. long enough for the right wing in this country to understand what it means to have a President with compassion, intelligence, a presence that says I am a leader and not a buffoon.

Wilfred Owen or Sasoon? I watched a movie tonight, They Shall Not Grow Old (2018), it was about WWI. I know a lot about that war, I read History. But it was recordings of WWI servicemen speaking as modern digitilised footage, coloured too, was shown in the film. I also watched the Cenotaph ceremony, which was quite moving also.

I love Wilfred Owen's poems. This special song, written by Eric Bogle 'after' Owen.A soldier returns from the Great War and lays by a graveside. It is quite moving. Edit* Sorry Miki, just saw you have the author there, McCrae.... silly me as always.

In the States, we have a national treasure in Ken Burns. He is a documentarian extraordinaire. His latest 'The Vietnam War' (2017) interleaves little known histories retold by those who were there over ten episodes. The final episode is titled 'The Weight of Memory' - I have not met one soldier, sailor, airman or Marine who without prompting proudly stands up and says - I fought in Vietnam. Yes, we talk about the war, but only when prompted. So, when a chance comes up, and a Ken Burns can compile the accounts - watch!

This was my war and as such I have studied the impact this war had on me, my fellow warriors, those who stayed at home with bone spurs and those who didn't come home.

I read that Trump watched the whole thing on television, as he did not want to get wet in the rain.

Jehanne wrote:...as he did not want to get wet in the rain.

He was schedule to visit a remembrance of the Marines who were lost in Belleau Wood in WWI.

The site honors the 4th Marine Brigade of the United States Army’s 2nd Division and an attack it led on the Germans on June 6, 1918 that liberated the Bouresches. The 5th and 6th Marine Regiments also fought in Belleau Wood that month, with hostilities ending 20 days later on June 26.
According to the American Battle Monuments Commission, 8,100 soldiers died in the wooded area near Belleau that month.

...and he didn't want to get his fucking hair wet.

MichaelaSJ wrote:

Jehanne wrote:...as he did not want to get wet in the rain.

He was schedule to visit a remembrance of the Marines who were lost in Belleau Wood in WWI.

The site honors the 4th Marine Brigade of the United States Army’s 2nd Division and an attack it led on the Germans on June 6, 1918 that liberated the Bouresches. The 5th and 6th Marine Regiments also fought in Belleau Wood that month, with hostilities ending 20 days later on June 26.
According to the American Battle Monuments Commission, 8,100 soldiers died in the wooded area near Belleau that month.

...and he didn't want to get his fucking hair wet.

Oh, yes, his fake hair! For his (brainwashed) supporters, none of it matters.

Like the mother:

Just as the son

This is an actual unretouched image of his mother from 1997. Search the web for Mary Trump image!

Bizarre! Imagine her going to the hairdresser and asking for that..... I'd like it to sort of go up and then sideways.... erm …. like iced cream on a cornet!

Celia Eriksson wrote:…. like iced cream on a cornet!

Celia, damn you!! Don't ever post something so spot on that is makes me drop my laptop from an unexpected yelp!

Fortunately, it landed bottom down so I can still respond to your pointed wit.

My Grandad was a pre war gunner in the British artillery, enlisted in 1913. He was from Limerick in Ireland as many Irishmen were. In August 1914 he deployed to Belgium to 'defend small countries' but as he was a regular soldier he was simply one of the 'old comtemptibiles' the Germans put it.
He survived the war and joined the Merchant Navy as a stoker. Then walked out of his family at some point.
Meanwhile my Grandmother lost her brother in 1918. But it was never mentioned ever.
My sister dug all this out.

Your grandfather may have jumped from the frying pan to the fire. The life span of a merchant mariner was not too great given the propensity and accuracy of the German U-boats to put a torpedo into a freighter/tanker.

My maternal grandfather fought with Teddy Roosevelt in the Spanish-American War and was too old for WWI. My paternal grandfather missed the war because he was married with two children.

My Father joined the Army in 1937 (mainly to get away from his overbearing Irish mother). He was injured in a training accident but because he was one of the few with a high school education and brains, they kept him in the Army, but stateside as a training NCO. He left the Army in 1946 as a First Sergeant.

My Dad had some interesting duty stations. When Pearl Harbor happened, he was send to Los Gatos, Ca (a town next to where I live now) in anticipation of a Japanese land attack. Yehudi Menuhin (a world class violinist) lived in the town and gave the troops a nightly concert.

When the troops started to come back from the Pacific Theater wounded, the Army converted the Ahwanhee Hotel in Yosemite into a rehab center. Once again, my Dad got stationed in Yosemite.

Note: The Ahwanhee Hotel is a five star hotel in the 10 star jewel of Yosemite. My Wife and I have stayed there twice and it was worth every penny to have stayed there.