Armistice Day

[George_Eller]

@Rising_Sun

George

Thanks for that.

Received wisdom on my part was that the correct word was contemn, but that condemn was normally misused.

I haven’t been in an RSL http://www.rsl.org.au/ club for decades when the ceremony is performed, but I used to find it quite moving. The lights were dimmed, everyone faced ?the honour board?, the words were recited and, I think, a recording of the last post was played at the end. It might have varied a bit from club to club.

That was in the days when the membership was largely WWII servicepeople. Not many Vietnam veterans, because the RSL was often hostile to them. If you read personal accounts by Vietnam veterans, you’ll find them being disparaged by the WWII diggers as not having been involved in a real war and so on. There’s still a lot of bitterness about it.

Now the RSL clubs are all feeding on poker machines and everybody can join, although not as an ex-service member, so if they still perform the ceremony it’s probably meaningless to most of the drongoes feeding their pay and pensions into poker machines.

You’re welcome RS, and thanks for the link to the Returned and Services League (RSL)

I think the American counterpart would be the American Legion.

To me it seems that either word (contemn or condemn) has about the same effect.

I first remember hearing the “Ode of Remembrance” recited in the movie, Anzacs: The War Down Under during a scene that takes place in Australia years after the First World War ended. I thought the scene was very moving.

The “Last Post” is also a very beautiful bugle call; I personally like the melody better than it’s American counterpart “Taps”.

Laurence Binyon’s “For the Fallen”, the “Ode of Remembrance” and the “Last Post” just seemed so fitting for this thread. And I also wanted to share them with others who may not be familiar with the customs of the UK and Commonwealth countries on “Remembrance Day” (Veterans Day in the U.S.).

[Rising_Sun]

George

I have to confess that I find the Last Post quite moving. In the right circumstances it’ll bring me close to tears.

Is there anything in the US like our Legacy http://www.legacy.com.au/pages/about_us.php , which is quite independent of the RSL and has entirely different objectives? It’s ex-service and service people have done brilliant and selfless work for the past 85 years, e.g.

http://www.brisbanelegacy.com.au/children.html

http://www.defence.gov.au/news/armynews/editions/1117/topstories/story15.htm

[Firefly]

RSL seems much like the British Legion then.

http://www.britishlegion.org.uk/

[mike_M]

…

[George_Eller]

@Rising_Sun

George

I have to confess that I find the Last Post quite moving. In the right circumstances it’ll bring me close to tears.

Is there anything in the US like our Legacy http://www.legacy.com.au/pages/about_us.php , which is quite independent of the RSL and has entirely different objectives? It’s ex-service and service people have done brilliant and selfless work for the past 85 years, e.g.

http://www.brisbanelegacy.com.au/children.html

http://www.defence.gov.au/news/armynews/editions/1117/topstories/story15.htm

Hi RS,

The “Last Post” is quite moving, I think the melody has a haunting quality.

Is there anything in the US like Australia’s Legacy?
Yes, here is a partial list of similar American organizations, but there are just so many. More can be found in the related links.

Armed Forces Relief Trust
http://www.afrtrust.org/

Army Emergency Relief
http://www.aerhq.org/
related links:
http://www.aerhq.org/links.asp

Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society
http://www.nmcrs.org/
related links:
http://www.nmcrs.org/links.html
http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/oifassist

Air Force Aid Society
http://www.afas.org/index.cfm
related links:
http://www.afas.org/links/body_links.cfm

Coast Guard Mutual Assistance
http://www.cgmahq.org/
related links:
http://www.cgmahq.org/HomePageDocs/Links.htm

NMFA National Military Family Association
http://www.nmfa.org/site/PageServer

America Supports You
Our Military Men & Women
http://www.americasupportsyou.mil/americasupportsyou/index.aspx
http://www.americasupportsyou.mil/AmericaSupportsYou/about.html

Operation Family Fund
http://www.oeffamilyfund.org/
related links:
http://www.oeffamilyfund.org/Links.htm

T.A.P.S. Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors
http://www.taps.org/team/

Fallen Patriot Fund
http://www.fallenpatriotfund.org/
http://www.fallenpatriotfund.org/about.html

KIA Fund
Killed In Action Fund
http://www.killedinactionfund.org/

Gold Star Wives of America
http://www.goldstarwives.org/
http://www.goldstarwives.org/about-wives.htm
related links:
http://www.goldstarwives.org/related-links.htm

Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation:
http://www.mcsf.com/site/c.ivKVLaMTIuG/b.1677655/k.BEA8/Home.htm
http://www.mcsf.com/site/c.ivKVLaMTIuG/b.1678275/k.160A/About_MCSF.htm

Marine Corps - Law Enforcement Foundation
http://www.mc-lef.org/

The Fisher House™ Program
http://www.fisherhouse.org/
http://www.fisherhouse.org/aboutUs/aboutUs.shtml
related links:
http://www.fisherhouse.org/links/links.shtml

@mike_M

The Last Post…A very sad and proud tune.

These two I really like.
http://home.att.net/~militarysalute1/music/echotaps.wma

http://home.att.net/~militarysalute1/music/amazinggrace.wma

Those are really beautiful Mike. I think the first is the best rendition that I’ve ever heard of “Taps”. And “Amazing Grace” on bagpipes…fantastic. Thank you

I have always liked the bagpipe tune “Flowers of the Forest”

“The Flowers of the Forest”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhZ2IknXetg
This funeral tune commemorates the battle of Flodden (1553).

“The Flowers of the Forest” Bagpipes @ Weavers Needle
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYBAhJxtXME

Piping on the Two Sisters, Falkland Islands
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uO0qkvdI5UQ
playing “Flowers of the Forest” as a memorial to all the men who were killed on this hill.

Piping on Remembrance Sunday 12-11-05
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYZX7qqH9M8

Remembrance Sunday London 2006 Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Is-IgqP8djo
Remembrance Sunday London 2006 Part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBp4iY5_oi4

THE SOMME 2006 Menin Gate - The Last Post
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xIJLp4vCZ4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2jFrezg4do
Commemoration of the 90th Anniversary of the Battle of the Somme
1st july 1916 - 1st July 2006

Remembrance Day - The Last Post
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4NtSqZcT_4

Amen - Westminster Abbey Choir & Last Post
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vT62IiG6Qks
The Queen Mother’s funeral. Westminster Abbey Choir and Chapel Royal choristers sing a long amen after the benediction, then buglers play the Last Post.

[mike_M]

…

[George_Eller]

@mike_M

Hi George,
I agree with you 100%, the first time I ever heard Taps played with an Echo, was at Camp Pendelton Marine Corps Base. I was there for the 50th Anniversary Iwo Jima Banquet and I was stunned when I heard it. I met and talked with a lot of heroes that night and Mitchell Page was one of them.

You bet, they are so good that I saved both to my hardrive.

That must have been quite an experience in 1995.

Mitchell Paige (August 31, 1918–November 15, 2003)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitchell_Paige

Colonel Mitchell Paige, U.S.M.C. (Retired)
http://www.homeofheroes.com/mitch/index.html

Obituary:
http://www.leatherneck.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-11029.html

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0CEEDC1E38F93BA25752C1A9659C8B63