WesWorld

.... Happy Memorial Day. Today we remember those who gave all they had so that we could have all we have.

Freedom is never free. Thank a soldier today.

Do you also thank former soldiers like me?

Or me?


[SIZE=1]Technically we are allies.[/SIZE]

This is not an American board... So if you want us to participate, can I expect you to celebrate the 3rd of October as well? It is the "Tag der Deutschen Einheit" (Reunion Day). Has no effect on the rest of the world but is quite important in Germany. And I´m pretty sure somebody will raise his voice on 4th of July. What about the 1st of September? 9/11? 7.12. for Pearl? Why do I have not heard your voice on the 8th of May? That day the fighting ended in Europe, a remarkable date for sure. Or do you celebrate the 8th of December only, because the Japanese finally gave up - if we are talking dates Americans remember as historically important.

I have to say, I don´t like this kind of thread.

Btw, I was a soldier too - at least for a year - but never fought a war. So what do I make of this?

*looks at Memorial Day on Wiki*
"First enacted to honor Union soldiers of the American Civil War (it is celebrated near the day of reunification after the Civil War), it was expanded after World War I to honor dead Americans from all wars."

If I understand it correcly, to the US, Memorial Day is like what Remembrance Day (November 11) is to the Commonwealth nations.

Considering that it is to "honor Union soldiers of the American Civil War", shouldn't this day be hated in the South then? *runs away*

Hooman, if we are to remember/celebrate on all those special days, I doubt there would be any days left to work on then. Not that we would be complaining.

*Grumbles*

We should all remember to celebrate April 21st, ya'll![SIZE=1]Now if anyone *cough* knows why I would say that *cough*[/SIZE]

April 21st, 1864 AWNR Newsflash.
"This just in from AWNR's Star Reporter Akaibara Yayoko, present at the scene: General Nathaniel Prentice Banks is withdrawing from Grand Ecore to Alexandria!"

Hey, that was important too!

Try about 28 years in the past.....xD

"Dutch Queen Beatrice addresses U.S. Congress" Nothing important about that.
http://www.brainyhistory.com/events/1982…982_154799.html

28 years before 1864?

Quoted

Originally posted by HoOmAn
This is not an American board...

My conclusion is this has been an international board, generally tolerant of the customs and other non-exclusive idiosyncracies of all our players and visitors. I honestly don't see a problem with Sachmle's original sentiment. If I'm wrong, and someone truly feels offended, feel free to let me know privately; I'd prefer not to get into public debates on presumably sensative issues.

Quoted

Originally posted by HoOmAn
Or do you celebrate the 8th of December only, because the Japanese finally gave up

That'd be August 15th or September 2nd, wouldn't it? (And I, personally, do)

Quoted

Originally posted by HoOmAn
Btw, I was a soldier too - at least for a year - but never fought a war. So what do I make of this?

My general interpretation (which may differ from the 'official' efinitions) of memorial day, was a day set aside in memory of men and women who gave their lives in service of their country. This would include peacetime accidents, or even law enforcement or disaster response folks.

Quoted

Originally posted by Rooijen10
If I understand it correcly, to the US, Memorial Day is like what Remembrance Day (November 11) is to the Commonwealth nations.

This may also address the above question; In the US, November 11th is celebrated as Veteran's Day, which is more specifically for all Veterans, as opposed to those who died in combat, or other qualifiying conditions.


With all that being said, unless someone truly feels it's offensive to respect fallen soldiers, I have no problem letting this thread run it's course, but I will consider closing it if it becomes contentious.

Quoted

Originally posted by ShinRa_Inc

Quoted

Originally posted by HoOmAn
This is not an American board...

My conclusion is this has been an international board, generally tolerant of the customs and other non-exclusive idiosyncracies of all our players and visitors. I honestly don't see a problem with Sachmle's original sentiment. If I'm wrong, and someone truly feels offended, feel free to let me know privately; I'd prefer not to get into public debates on presumably sensative issues.

But why should we all, in puplic, honor fallen American soldiers? What purpose does the original message serve?

Quoted

Originally posted by HoOmAn
Or do you celebrate the 8th of December only, because the Japanese finally gave up

Quoted

That'd be August 15th or September 2nd, wouldn't it? (And I, personally, do)

My fault, mixed it up.

Quoted

With all that being said, unless someone truly feels it's offensive to respect fallen soldiers, I have no problem letting this thread run it's course, but I will consider closing it if it becomes contentious.

Again, what purpose does the original post serve? It is about dead American soldiers. As you said, this is an international board. Though it contains military information, it is all fictious. At least most of it. Political content is kept out of it and to honor one nations fallen soldiers is political content. At least to me.

So no, I´m not offended but I think there are better places in the web to remember dead soldiers.

Quoted

Originally posted by HoOmAn
Political content is kept out of it and to honor one nations fallen soldiers is political content.

I respect the soldiers, most of whom die without a single political thought on the matter. Memorial Day is to honor the fallen soldiers, not the suits who put them there, nor any particular cause or political aim.

Furthermore, while the origin of the holiday may be rooted as American, I find no preclusion of honoring other nation's fallen soldiers, who similarly died in honorable service of their fellow countrymen, or even for allied countrymen.

Shin captured my thoughts on the matter perfectly.

The orriginal post didn't mention "American" soldiers, it mentioned soldiers in general who fought and died in ALL wars.

I for one have ZERO problems with this post......

I cannot get offended by other people holidays.
If I did it will be hypocrisy of the highest order.
I have a holiday that commemorates Polish defeat of the Russians. Russians have one commemorating Russian defeat of Polish.
Every corner of the world with more that a 50 years of history has a holiday that commemorates doing violence too there neighbours.

Remembering a end of a civil war is actually very political correct, we had like eleven of those.
We have too remember the men and women that died in those atrocities that we call war, and remember do do our best not too send ourselves and our children in the next. Civil or other wise.

What I say next will insult someone...
US had what like not 2 000 000 war dead in its history?
We had twice that in 6 years, and we are a small nation.
Two of my neighbours had twice that number in men at arms in a single battle.
I hope that Americans realise how much good fortune they have. That they lived in a land that did not see war for one and a half century. I have living relatives that did dig there love ones out of the burning rubble of there homes.(and no HoOmAn not all of those bombs were German)

Well said Marek.

....and I wouldn't have any problem at all paying tribute to Tag der Deutschen Einheit, it was a great day for Germany that should have happened ALOT sooner.

Quoted

Originally posted by Marek Gutkowski
Every corner of the world with more that a 50 years of history has a holiday that commemorates doing violence too there neighbours.

No, not every corner. We have not, for example, and you will be hard pressed to find two decades in sequence where there was no war somewhere in Germany, for hundreds of years.

To me it is a governmental task to make sure the achievements - if I dare calling it that way - and the men of war are not forgotten. At the very same time it is political motivated. You can browse the net on news about the ongoing discussions in Germany regarding the new cenotaph for the fallen German soldiers in Berlin.

I also cannot stand this single-sided hero worship that is so close to militarism in the USA. Strictly personal point of course. But what about the victims? I can accept to honor (to some degree) those men who fell for their country when at the same time you do not forget to remember the victims too. The people of My Lai for example - in case we are talking American soldiers. Those things need to be linked together.

Don´t get me wrong. I fully agree that families who lost one of their beloved ones need a place and probably a date to bemoan them. But to me there always is a difference between honoring and moaning somebody.

And again, I think this board is not the right place to put this stuff.

Quoted

Originally posted by thesmilingassassin
Well said Marek.

....and I wouldn't have any problem at all paying tribute to Tag der Deutschen Einheit, it was a great day for Germany that should have happened ALOT sooner.

Well, okay, but I will never throw it into your face. The date, the meaning - it´s all strictly German, probably private/personal in case ones family was involved, nothing to put on these boards.

Anyway...

I just decided to abstain from further discussing this matter. Obviously I am the only one to think different about these matters.