The Cathedral was rightly filled with members of the armed forces, cadets, youth movements, and citizens gathered to pay their respects. For Councillors and other dignitaries—including the Vice Lieutenant of Kent, the High Sheriff of Kent, and the Mayor of Medway—the service offers a vital opportunity to show that we are far more united by our respect for those who made the ultimate sacrifice than by our political differences.
But as those few, fleeting moments of silence end, one unavoidable question remains: Can anyone, other than those who fought, truly understand what it is to fight for your country, her principles, and her values?
Was it Worth the Sacrifice?
This November, that question was thrust into the public arena by Alec Penstone. The 100-year-old D-Day veteran’s interview on Good Morning Britain was brought to an abrupt halt when he stated, unequivocally, that the sacrifice made by the 400,000 servicemen and women who gave their lives “wasn’t worth it given the state of the country today.”
That interview was an emotional, profound indictment of the overall direction of the country. Mr. Penstone’s central message is one of disappointment that the better, unified nation they fought to build has simply not materialised, squandering the freedom secured by his generation.
Personal Memories
My own family’s connection to service, while not on the front lines, speaks to that generation’s commitment: my paternal grandfather was an engineer not required to serve, and my maternal grandfather drove a lorry for the unit dealing with unexploded bombs. Having considered joining the Royal Navy myself while attending the London Nautical School, and having paraded at the Merchant Marine Memorial in Tower Hill, I find the collective weight of the parades, the Last Post, and the two minutes of silence deeply moving.
My first memory of conflict involving British Troops was the sectarian conflict in Northern Ireland which pitted Protestant against Catholic and Loyalist against Nationalist. The British Army was pitted against terrorists who indiscriminately killed. It was a war against an enemy that could not be seen and which moved in the shadows.
But the Falklands Conflict is the one that touched me the most. My school had a number of Old Boys serving in a number of branches of the armed forces including the Royal Navy, Fleet Air Arm, Royal Fleet Auxiliary and Royal Marines. The daily updates at assembly brought home to us just what these men were sacrificing so that 1,800 British citizens thousands of miles away could enjoy their freedom and liberty.
Thankfully no Old Boys died or were wounded in the conflict, something that the entire school celebrated when these men and women came home in triumph having defeated the forces of the Argentinian Military Junta.
How do we Continue to Remember?
Remembrance Sunday should remain a feature of our public life. Personally, I’ve always felt that observing the 11th of November as a nationally unifying day of remembrance would better consolidate our commitment. This would also remove the confusion that exists between the traditional Sunday service and the Armistice Day two minutes’ silence, which is not universally observed.
Above all we must remember the sacrifices made and preserve the memory of those who gave so much, and for the near 400,000 who made the ultimate sacrifice so that we can enjoy the liberties that we hold so dear.
