Remembering fallen soldiers

Every November in Britain, people don poppies to commemorate those British soldiers who gave their lives serving their country. The sale of the poppies benefits the Royal British Legion. The commemoration revolves around Armistice Day, which was created after World War I when it was agreed to remember those lost in The Great War on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. 

In the U.S., we call it Veterans' Day, but we honor all who serve and have served in the military. We use Memorial Day to honor the fallen. The thing is, neither holiday really has much impact on American society. Yes, there will be tons of Facebook statuses thanking veterans on these days. Some towns may have parades. And there are ceremonies at the national cemeteries. But frankly, it seems these holidays are better known for sales and long weekends than anything else. So it was quite interesting for me to be in the UK for Armistice Day. America may have participated in the world wars. We lost many, many soldiers. The bombing of Pearl Harbor remains an extremely emotional event. But neither war was actually fought in the U.S. And therein lies the difference, methinks.

Here in the UK, they mark Remembrance Sunday. It falls on the Sunday closest to November 11. Memorial ceremonies take place all over the country. The one from London, in which the Queen, Prime Minister, and other dignitaries take part, is nationally televised. It is truly a communal remembrance. But that's not the only difference.

My friend Amanda asked me to take photos of any war memorials I came across in my travels. She wanted to show her students that The Great War remains a part of life in Europe, not just some event shrouded in passing time. I was happy to oblige, and I must confess the effort taught me, too. I took these photos in Stratford-upon-Avon and Preston. They really made me appreciate just how different the war experience was for the British people, and the lasting effect it has on the culture.

War memorials are not unique to Britian, of course. I've seen them in the States, but there is something about having an entire park dedicated to such a remembrance that I found intriguing.

It is a lovely, serene, and well-maintained park. The perfect time to reflect and remember.

This cross memorializes all of the residents of Stratford who lost their lives in World War I. The octagonal base is covered in names. The town isn't that big today. I imagine it was even smaller a hundred years ago. So it lost a fair percentage of its population in the war.

Even the school's boat club was hard hit. I honestly can't put my finger on it, but for some reason this memorial struck an emotional chord with me.

This is the World War II memorial. Not nearly as many names on this one.

I feel this little plaque exemplifies how the war is part of the culture. It's a simple piece of wood painted white. The drawing and poem are written with felt-tip markers. It's not some mass-produced sign one could buy in a store. It's a handmade tribute that took time and, I suspect, love to make. 

This is the cenotaph in Preston's city center. It is dedicated to those from Preston who died serving their country in the two world wars. It was unveiled in 1926 and was originally erected to commemorate those who died in World War I, but its meaning changed after World War II. Steve and I visited it on Remembrance Sunday. You can see the poppy wreaths that were placed as part of Preston's ceremony.

A closer view of the wreaths. They are in the process of renovating the cenotaph, so we couldn't get close enough to read the notes attached to the wreaths.

There were also crosses planted along the hedgerows. Each one is planted in memory of a fallen loved one, so they possess very special meaning to many people.