[GandalfTheGrey]

Today is remembrance day, and no doubt it will be one of the last remembrance days we will have with veterans still alive from the first world war. There are now 5 Australian veterans left, all of whom are over 100 years old. Marcel Caux, 104 and the last wounded veteran (he was shot three times in the leg, and once in his arm), will be the only WWI digger present to lay a wreath at a memorial.

Remembrance day is, ironically, remembered less and less. However, we must keep it alive even after all the WWI veterans are a distant memory.
It is so important.

Lest we forget.

[Ocker]

When you say it is remembered less, you're right, 'cos I had no idea

I guess I haven't been watching enough TV...

[Thin Spirits]

I've heard from a few overseas people that one of the oddest things about Australia is our affinity for the first world war. Our memorial is something of an honour for the veterans, I guess its because they are the people who forged the Australian national identity.

Lest we forget.

[Yeddi]

I think the reason why Remberence Day isn't remembered is because we use ANZAC day for the same purpose. And it has seemed to over shadow the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.

Still any oppertunity to remember those who died in the futility of war, and those that survived with the horrors of war in their minds. May we never forget them, and never again fall into the trap of using violence and death to combat problems.

[Efrem Da King]

Yeah why do we even have remmebr ance day anyways???

We have ANZAC day which is good. Its cause of all the other counties that celebrate it I guess.

[Yeddi]

Rememberence day is the day of the armistice.
At the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, The Great War ended.

I don't know when ANZAC day became the same thing, but it did, and i think in Australia ANZAC day far surpasses Rememberence day.

[Ocker]

I think it has to do with what Thin Spirits said, the Diggers were an early sign of Australian identity.

As well as the fact that most locations do the minute silence for Anzac day, including schools where they will normally lay a wreath and have an RSL speaker.

Oh, and what makes a real Australian day...the excuse to get pissed, and Two-Up + RSLs make the perfect atmoshphere for some good ol' Aussie beer swigging.

[senor boogie woogie]

Hola!

I wonder how many WW1 vets are left in the USA? I lost my wonderful grandmother in 2002, she was 93 and was born 1908. She would of beenm 10 years old in the Armistace. Bob Hope died last year and he was too young to fight in WW1.

WW1 was a tragic war, a war that no one outside of Europe should of been involved in. A European Vietnam so to speak. I salute the 100 year old plus men still kicking that can still tell the story of life back in those days in their own words.

Senor

[Tex]

Hola!

I wonder how many WW1 vets are left in the USA?

The last American soldier to receive the purple heart recently died at the age of 108. According to the VFW there are 200 remaining WW1 vets in the US.