What some people tend to want to forget here on ATS...

This week was a week of rememberance for all those throughout the world who have sacrificed their lives either as conscripts, regular soldiers, civilian volunteers or just innocents who were not at all involved in any armed conflict but left their lives unnecessarily...

As a white European... I would like to nod my head in respects to these people who fought for what they beleived in at the time :

When the United States declared war against Germany in April of 1917, War Department planners quickly realized that the standing Army of 126,000 men would not be enough to ensure victory overseas. The standard volunteer system proved to be inadequate in raising an Army, so on 18 May 1917 Congress passed the Selective Service Act requiring all male citizens between the ages of 21 and 31 to register for the draft. Even before the act was passed, African American males from all over the country eagerly joined the war effort. They viewed the conflict as an opportunity to prove their loyalty, patriotism, and worthiness for equal treatment in the United States.

More here if you are interested : www.militaryhistoryonline.com...

I invite certain people to read the whole contents of the link which is provided...

Those people beleived in their loyalty, patriotism, and worthiness for equal treatment in the United States (and NOT only in the US BUT throughout the world with other allied partners...

And this :

It is often thought that World War One was a European War, fought exclusively by Europeans. Nothing could be further from the truth. Despite the fact that the mainstream media makes precious little effort to acknowledge the contributions of Non Europeans. There were lots of Black and Asian soldiers in WW1.

Link here : www.blackpresence.co.uk...

And remember the Harlem HELL fighters :



May I sincerely bow down on behalf of my generation and my children (and childrens children) and take my hat off to those who sacrificed their lives... No matter what colour or gender they may have been...

Lest they not be forgotten...

Not just for England... but for all of the fallen :

They went with songs to the battle, they were young.
Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted,
They fell with their faces to the foe.

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.

They mingle not with their laughing comrades again;
They sit no more at familiar tables of home;
They have no lot in our labour of the day-time;
They sleep beyond England's foam

Thank you.

Kindest respects

Rodinus

I don't think it's a case of wanting to forget, possibly more like, not being informed.

When Britain went to war in 1914, many of the first servicemen to start digging trenches and therefore become the first to experience trench warfare, were from India. Yet, this was not taught in any history lessons I participated in.

Britain was able to call on people from all around her empire and many Africans, Asians, Australians, New Zealanders and Canadians fought in this European war.

We shall never forget

originally posted by: Cobaltic1978
I don't think it's a case of wanting to forget, possibly more like, not being informed.

When Britain went to war in 1914, many of the first servicemen to start digging trenches and therefore become the first to experience trench warfare, were from India. Yet, this was not taught in any history lessons I participated in.

Britain was able to call on people from all around her empire and many Africans, Asians, Australians, New Zealanders and Canadians fought in this European war.

We shall never forget

We in the UK or in Europe shall never forget those that sacrificed their lives... as that particular devastating war hit us extremely hard...

BUT certain people where extremist segregation/racism/Intolerance still exist... will always look for the negative side of things in order to whinge about something and brainwash themselves and those that are gullible enough to be dragged into their way of thinking... including their own family and loved ones...

Kindest respects

Rodinus

a reply to: Rodinus

Here in the US every war after and including WWII was a for profit manufactured war for the interests of the oligarchy cabal. The poor men giving their life's sacrificing for the interests of people who will never be seen by the public eye.
These men are forwarding a goal unbeknownst to them or their family's who think their life was givin for freedoms not to take such freedoms away.

One shouldn't hate the pawns only hate the hand that moves the pawn. The source.

Please do not forget that i am NOT only discussing the USA here?

Kindest respects

Rodinus

a reply to: MGaddafi

I could be yellow, black or any other colour too... No importance for the one track minds and argument makers... Dont even come here racist... YOU are not welcome.

Kindest respects

Rodinus

a reply to: Rodinus

True, it's hard to for me to comment on the service men of other countries as Im not fully aware of their home country's agenda. After the Great War I think war was fought for very different reasons than before.

As a German I also think and respect all of the soldiers that fell on our side, forced by a regime to fight a war most of them were to young to even understand [they were someone's sons, husbands or brothers too]. Just like UK and US soldiers are fighting now.

To forget them would be just as cruel as to forget those that fought against us for freedom because I'd like to repeat that most Germans were not Nazis, nor racist. They were brainwashed at the right time by the right man.
I would like to think that the world has learned from us not to fall for this kind of thing ever again but right now, especially Americans are going down the same road without noticing. So, respect your fighters by honouring their deeds and learn from the Germans not to get sucked in by a figure-head promising something whilst building up a police state.

This is what rememberance should truly be about. Not just to remember the fallen but also to learn from the war and keep the freedom they fought for by keeping up what they have achieved, otherwise they all died in vain.

a reply to: Rodinus
wars are started by greedy dinosaurs, life means nothing to them they dont care about the suffering it causes to the young men they send to die, i am against war and conflict but i respect and honour those who have had to fight in bloody wars, most of the time they didnt have a say in wether they go to war or not, if they survived and returned home to their families they brought with them memories that haunt them for the rest of their lives

a reply to: Hecate666

well said

Here are some statistics on the American kids who were killed, wounded, left homeless, and/or suicided as a result of the Vietnam war (e.g. age at time of death, race, religion, etc.).

This was a falsely conceived war, like all wars. In this case, one that crushed a generation of naive American kids. All of whom were blatantly lied to by their government, and unnecessarily scarified in cold blood.



Vietnam American War Casualty Statistics

Over 100,000 U.S. Vietnam Vet Suicides To Date!

The pictures of 888 246 red poppy's for all the common wealth soldiers who died in WW1 blew my mind when i saw it

have a look at these pics to see www.telegraph.co.uk...

originally posted by: Hecate666
As a German I also think and respect all of the soldiers that fell on our side, forced by a regime to fight a war most of them were to young to even understand [they were someone's sons, husbands or brothers too]. Just like UK and US soldiers are fighting now.

I think of this every time some 90 year old German or Pole in failing health who has worked in the US (or elsewhere) for 50 years at factory labor and is retired on nothing much more than his meager savings and social security is hauled before the "justice system" because he was a conscript for the German Army in WWII when he was 17 years old and someone found a list somewhere of names of some unit that "proves" he fought in the war. So now they're going to "punish" him for daring to be forced into the army against his will and forced to "fight" and then managed to get out.

This is an outrage. These guys are not sitting on top of a mountain of looted Nazi gold living the high life. They barely survived the war and barely survived life, but we're going to "get em!"

originally posted by: Rodinus
I could be yellow, black or any other colour too... No importance for the one track minds and argument makers... Dont even come here racist... YOU are not welcome.

Kindest respects

Rodinus

Ummm...as a white European...Why are you making this about race...?

Yes...many a fool from all walks and persuasions gladly took themselves off to die in foreign lands...

Why...Why pray tell did they allow themselves to be the sacrificial arm of some cigar waving, caviar burping cabal...?

Because it was their..............wait for it...............JOB.
Not for any other reason were they so prepared...useful idiots chocking on their cries of God and country...

Oh...how we pumped them full of pride as they marched off....thinking that they were bound in the service of liberty...
They were bound all right, bound for a small spot in a sad line of small spots that...dress right dress...blur into lost perspective.

From a white American.....................................and a veteran.

Kindest Respects






YouSir

a reply to: YouSir

I guess you never heard of a little thing called conscription?
Many men were forced to fight in both WWI & WWII.
Many employers forced their employees to go fight.
Conscientious Objectors were looked at as cowards and unpatriotic at the time so most men went and fought.
I suggest you educated yourself, so you don't sound so dumb

Long live the legacy of Sargent Henry Johnson.

Ummm...as a white European...Why are you making this about race...?

Woooooaaahhh........

If you look at one of the videos that I posted in the opening post, you will notice that this video is about those Afro American soldiers who also sacrificed their lives with pride for their country.

I was expecting a bit of whiplash from some of the less intolerant people here when it comes to racial discrimination and thus being the reason why I wanted to point out that I was a white European... and also to show our fellow US members that in Europe we bow our heads down to the fallen no matter what, colour, gender or country they hail from.

Kindest respects

Rodinus

a reply to: Rodinus


Ummm...Which is exactly my point...yet somehow when you state things like this........"and also to show our fellow US members that in Europe we bow our heads down to the fallen no matter what, colour, gender or country they hail from."

It makes me wonder where such a statement comes from...and why. It almost leaves an oily, rancid taste in my mouth. Do you really mean to suggest that in Amerika we.......ONLY...bow our heads in remembrance to members of our own race...? That sentence really is a condescending and arrogant opinion that suggests...Amerikans are all stereotypical race haters that lag somewhat historically and morally behind you fine Europeans...

In my post...I stated "many a fool went off to die in foreign lands"...I never once implied that the term fool was in any way race specific...I also included myself in that statement by saying that I am a veteran as well...

I don't know.....perhaps it's because you felt a need to distinguish yourself by race and turn the thrust of your message of respect for Veterans passed, into one that was separating those veterans categorically...
Perhaps...also...it has to do with an antipathy toward labels and their discriminating characterizations...
I personally think that if we are to move beyond such division then we need to leave that all behind and move on into some future where again...perhaps...such enlightenment might be more intrinsic to individual character...

Kindest Respects




YouSir

originally posted by: Cobaltic1978
I don't think it's a case of wanting to forget, possibly more like, not being informed.

When Britain went to war in 1914, many of the first servicemen to start digging trenches and therefore become the first to experience trench warfare...

I'd research the American Civil war and trenches, There may not have been 'Machine guns' but they had the Gatling gun and there may not have been 'Howitzers' but there were canons, they didn't have 'Battleships" but had Ironclads etc.

The American Civil war was the first real 'Modern' war where Trenches were used.

Perhaps... You are looking for an argument in order to derail this thread?

What started off as a simple "bow down" to those who have sacrificed their lives should not be twisted into a complicated debate in my opinion?

Please respect those who gave their lives for the freedom of those that they will never know...

But that is only my simple opinion!

Thank you.

Kindest respects

Rodinus

ETA. And just for the record... Ex service Man and veteran too.

a reply to: YouSir