How'd you spend Remembrance Day?

[Cdnarmybear]

For the first time in my career, I finally was able to attend a Rememberance Day Service with my grandfather, a WW 2 vet in Calgary. We went to #289 legion, it is very small, but they packed over 200 people into the hall upstairs. When they asked all the vets from WW 2 to stand up, there were only 5, including my grandad. I was the only  currently serving member there for the service, but there were others that showed up later on in the day. They had a really good jazz band that was playing, and an awesome performance by the Clan Maxwell Pipes and Drums, as well as the kids from the Ogden Legion Pipes and Drums. (another excellent performance). Overall it was an great day, and I was very proud to be able to be there with my grand dad and to talk with the other vets there. I'm hoping I will be able to go again with him next year!!

 

[D3V1L6]

Paraded with the Army/TF Orion contingent in Ottawa.  Never would I have thought that I would be in the Nations capital, on parade for remembrance day.  Definately and experience I will try to remember forever, I have to admit everything after dismissal is a blur.  Hope to make it vack ther again next year, most likely on my own as I think I know why they only invite the PPCLI to Ottawa after major events... :cheers:

 

[Amos]

Started off with the service at the RCEME gate at CFB Kingston (rainy also) then headed over to SNCOs mess,  then the ANAF club where I talked to and thanked a couple of WWII vets, showed them a picture of my dad and his medals from WWII..this is my favourite stop, think we'll just go there next year instead of skipping around!  Last, we headed over to the 560 Legion.  Oh ya, I won a toaster oven from the ANAF club!        WILL  NEVER  FORGET   

 

[aesop081]

I was down in San Diego and attended a Veteran's day parade downtown.  Spent the night chassing an american submarine along with a few of HM's Canadian ships....

 

[2-3-Bravo]

First, I'd like to thank the fella who posted the question. There have been some amazing answers.

I'm out now. 1889-1996, PPCLI, 2 Commando, Somalia, and finally 3 PPCLI Para Coy. I miss the guys a lot – more than I can explain here. For the most of them that are still in, they've all be to Afghanistan and back and who knows where else. With all the losses in Afghanistan, specifically Sgt. Vaughn Ingram and Cpl. Frank Gomez, I made sure that I attended the ceremony at the Museum of Regiments here in Calgary. I knew both of them very well. Vaughn and I went to 2VP after Battle School, then off to the AB Regt. together where we met Frank. Frank and I were always in the same platoon.

Today, I work at an independent school in Calgary called the Edge School. We’re an academics/athletics/character development school. I'm in my second year and I've been fortunate enough to present at both in-school Remembrance Day ceremonies. We do a great job at our school – a job that would make any past and current member proud.

I present in a way that helps them make a connection not just to the past but to the present. I try to help them understand that we have men and women fighting for others who can’t fight for them selves.

I try to make them realize that we live in a world of luxury and excess compared to the majority in today’s world – thanks to our grandfathers and great grandfathers.

I ask them, how would you feel if it was your father, your brother, you mother, your sister that was killed and wasn’t coming home… and then you see people who don’t wear a poppy. How does that make you feel? Do you feel like people have forgotten, that people don’t care… ignorant and uneducated…?

I challenge them to spread the message, that we can’t forget the sacrifices of those who wear our country’s uniform – and to remember not just the fallen but those who come home injured and maimed – The message is getting through… one person at a time. Maybe I can create my own army of remembrance educators…

So to all of you who were in, who are still in… thanks – from one brother to another!

My life for yours, Airborne!

 

[Yeoman]

I ended up going home.
I picked up my room mate the day before on his hlta from you know where, and we did things that I won't discuss on this board friday night.
the saturday I was expecting to be on the vigil party (turns out I wasn't needed, a shame I enjoyed doing it back home because my great great uncles name is on that cenotaph).
so we showed up about 30 mins early before the show started, and this one guy came up to me and asked me if I was in 3 RCR (I think my coloured beret confirmed, I think he just wanted to ask some q's) and it turned out he use to be in the third herd right up till 03. so we ended up talking about all the guys he knows that I now work with, just seeing what they were up to. we ended up hanging out the rest of the day and night. I then had a couple of airborne vets come up and talk to me. the first one just looks me up and down (he had a rack of medals on him like I've never seen, definetely a korea vet) and asks where I'm from, his eyes lit up, turned out he use to be 1RCR before he joined the airborne. looks at me and goes 'I'm getting you whatever you want afterwards'. who am I to argue to a veteran about that right? the airborne vets and I ended up talking for quite a bit until the parade marched in and the service bang. it was raining through out, but I didn't mind it, it just doesn't seem like rememberance day without rain you know? I ended up seeing some more faces in the parade that I knew, it was good to see they're still around. once the service was done I went up to the cenotaph and saluted towards the fallen comrades of my old town. myself, my room mate, and my new found friend drove over to the legion. needless to say there was a ton of free drinks for us as soon as they saw either a)the white wings or b)that the room mate was just back from you know where. alot of story telling, and a lot of story listening. I always get a kick out of hearing vets from ww2 and korea talking, just such an honour you know? after being there for a little while, we headed over to the local pub to meet some non-legion but still served men. they were great fun to listen to as well. so after racking up around $300 and only paying $80 (hey the owner did time as well, so alot of em were on the house, but I wouldn't let him get away with just letting us get off for free) .
so all and all, it was probably the best rememberance day service I've done. maybe it was just because I hadn't seen the room mate in three months. but man it was definetely a good weekend.
Greg