Rememberance Day

Today it's November the 11th and rememberance day. A cold, windy late autumn day but all the old soldiers were out to honour those who fell in WW1.

It was interesting to see - given how used to the Anzac day dawn and midday services I am used to seeing and ocassionally going to for all the Diggers * (Australian Infantry) who fell in WW1, WW2, Korea & Vietnam.

The mairie (town hall) was bedecked in flowers and had the flags of France, and fellow allies Britain, and the U.S. flying, as well as the modern German flag which I thought was a nice conciliatory gesture.

The vets were there in Blue balzers and Navy berets, and a few of today's serving soldiers in Green fatigues.

I had a quick chat with one policeman who at first was a little brusque with me thinking I was just some gawking tourist intruding on a sombre ceremony, but when I said I was interested in their rememberance commemoration, he warmed immediately and gave me heaps of information.

It is a public holiday today so it was very quiet apart from the speaches from the Mayor and the dignitaries.

It is interesting to see the differences between the two cultures, approaches and ceremonies. I enjoyed being able to see it. It is certainly still a very important event in the national calendar here and it was good to see people of all ages turn out to pay homage.

* Diggers - a term that originated in WW1. The first thing the (Australian & New Zealand - ANZAC) infantry soldier did on arriving at the front was to dig a foxhole or add to the extensive trench network so he didn't get his head shot off five minutes after getting there. Given the advent of the maxim machine gun and the close proximity of trench warfare, soldiers did a lot of digging. The term has stuck ever since.