Lest we forget.
How could you forget? Entire towns of men were wiped out. Everyone had a lost solider in their family tree. Some had many. If you went to school in the 80s All's Quiet on the Western Front was assigned reading. The geopolitical fall out took 40 years to recover from. Never mind the physical destruction and loss of life. I now understand the span of 40 years.
For me, this day also became a tribute to the victims of war, soldiers and civilians alike. I have friends who have civilian POWs in their family tree; who were considered slave labour; who's grandfathers lived in forests and resisted occupation after the war. I'm sure there are many who experienced actual war crimes.
It was never talked about and yet universally understood that war is - insert your many and varied horror adjectives of choice. What was also made very clear...war was the last defense but if it came to that you fight. The cost of your neighbor's freedom is stratospheric but you pay it to protect your own.
Imagine my dawning understanding of what that cost really entailed as this day marks the 9th month of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. I'm relieved my grandparents aren't alive to witness this. Ironically, it appears US and Poland are doing the most. The rest of the western world's "caution" is a terrible response to our veterans sacrifice. And my country's tepid involvement feels shameful. Would I sacrifice my life to end this war? Yes. Would I encourage my children to do the same? I don't know.
Those men and women, the ones in our family tree, said yes to both.
Lest we forget.
