11th day of the 11th month, on the 11th hour...
 

In 1918, a peace treaty was signed by the Central Powers (Germany, Austria, and Turkey) to end the conflict in the west known as the Great War. Supposedly to be "the war to end all wars", it consumed millions of men, material and money. Many served, and many did not come back alive to tell the story of the horrors of the trenches, sea and air. Today is November 11th, 2003; 85 years after the end of WWI.

Just thought I would throw that out there for the uneducated.

18 views, no reply. Have you no respect for war dead?

I do... I'm just too tired to make a fitting comment... our poisoning of the cannibalism thread wore me out...

I didn't know anybody who fought in WW1 but I did a minutes silence oday anyway.

I'm more of a WW2 person. My grandad was in that, he looked after the ammunition. (he had bad eyesight so they wouldn't let him fight) It was during the war that he met my Italian grandmother. I love listening to his war stories, they are fascinating. So I have heaps of respect for WW2 especially just because my gradpa was in it.

With WW1 though I'm not so clued up but I still buy poppies and do the silence.

Actually it's the Allie's fault World War II began. The conditions of piece for Germany were so hard that some predicted WWII when the peace was made.

Whoevers fault it was, there were too many horrific, senseless deaths in that war. On both sides.

Indeed. It has passed, and it is not a time to put the blame on a treaty that was formed 85 years ago. Let the old fighters rest in peace.

And in both wars.

Agreed.

Just giving out few historical facts concerning the topic.

I agree. I hope they all rest in peace.

My grandfather was on Iwo Jima when the Americans raised the American Flag.
Granted, he was not one of the ones to raise the flag, BUT HE WAS THERE! :D

I bet you have had your share of war stories...

:nod: Yes, I have.
My grandfather is the only one I have left....all of my other grandfathers are dead... :cry:

I too have only one grandfather left. But that's life.

True. But I'm gonna see him and my grandmother on Thursday for "The Lion King on Broadway"...so...WEE! :D

The spirits of those in the World Wars do not rest. Amon Goeth sits in my room and belches the alphabet every night. Thats why I'm insane...

My grandfather went through a lot during WW2. He landed on the island of Saipan in the first wave of it's invasion. He told me when the landing craft was going in, it kept having to turn around because of the heavy fire from the Japanese guns. Even worse, he was on a troopship on it's way to invade Okinawa, when the ship got slammed by a Kamikaze.

I believe my great grandfather or someone else fought in either WWI or II. I'm a little fuzzy on it. But I have an American flag that that person kept. It was given to me by my grandmother and hangs on the wall in my bedroom. (Some people don't know it about me, but even though I'm not afraid to criticize this country I am fiercely patriotic)

I have some Japanese things my Grandfather "relieved" from some Japanese soldiers. The best thing being a Japanese flag that was signed by everyone that particular soldier knew.

I've got some stuff like that from my great uncle. When he passed away they found lots of things from japan that he aquired during the war...

I keep my US Flag (from my grandfather, same war) Framed. It's one of the only things I have left to remember him by. when he died someone stole most of his possesions.

Keeping a flag in a frame is a bad idea, moisture gets trapped in there and will eventually start to rot. If I were you, I would take it out and store it.

Oh thanks for telling me that. I had no idea...

maybe I'll just hang it on my wall.

My grandfather was in WWII. He was at Pearl Harbor when it was attacked by the Japanese. He was near the Arizona when it was bombed. He was Navy diver that would repair the hulls of ships and do maintenence. He lived through the war but died before I was born. I've heard stories from my dad and grandmother that he told them about the war. He helped with the rescue efforts at Pearl Harbor after the attack. It was pretty gruesome stuff to say the least.

My other grandfather was in the Vietnam War. He was a pilot that flew the B-57 Canberra bombers on night missions in Vietnam. He was killed one fogging night where the visibility was really low when they flew into a mountain. He was MIA for 6 years, I think.

So yeah, I also have a lot of respect for our veterans considering both my grandfathers fought in two major wars.

Many of you probably don't know this, but during WW2 Finland was actually ally of Germany. The only country we Fought against was Russia, trying to get back the areas we lost in "Winter War" in 1941. But In the end Finland ended up fighting against Germany aswell.

My Grandfather was 17 at the time, So Natrually he wasn't on the front line, he was working on a Air force base, that Russian planes kept bombing. He used to tell me stories how they had pick up body parts and send them to relatives.

From what I understand Finland's invovlment in the war is broken into three parts.

The Winter War: November 1939 - March 1940;
The Continuation War: June 1941 - September 1944;
The Lapland War: September 1944 - April 1945 (against Germany)

At least that's how I learned it.

Sounds a bit like me. I slate certain aspects of my country a lot and an ashamed of some things our Goverment has done (and am extremely Anti Blair) but a lot but really I am proud of my English heritage. I know I'll get homesick for the place when I leave it despite the many, many things I don't like about the UK. I'm very for traditonal England, keeping the Royals, the Pound, etc.

Yep, thats correct. Actually more correct than my post, I said Winter War ended in 1941.. :sick:

Anyone else got any war stories?

A citizen of an Allied country walking around in an Axis country during WWII? Doesn't sound like a smart idea...

Rez, Italy was taken over at the time...

Don't quote me...I'm not exactly up to tabs on my war history, that's for people like my dad to catch up with :roll:

Then why post if you don't know the full truth. Rest in Peace all of the soldiers that faught for us to have a peaceful and ok life. Even though it isn't very peaceful it is still better than war. I also have a horrible story. At my school I saw some of the people outside smoking throwing the poppy down the ground and stomping on it. That is such disrepect. They don't know the war and they wouldn't have the balls to live through it. I saw that and was in major shock. :o