I still call it “Armistice Day”, you should see the looks I get.To give you an idea of how little people know of history, I mentioned to a coworker that I had a lot of audio material we could use on our radio show for Dec 7.She said “What’s December seventh?”
My dad didn’t talk about it, either. He did tell funny stories once in a while. When he was in North Africa, he and some buddies went to swipe some watermelons from a field that was guarded by, of all things, camels. They were creeping along when they heard that snuffle/snort that camels do and the guys “high tailed” it back to camp! He also told of some rhymes that they said that today are totally politically incorrect. Other than that, nothing. And, for what it’s worth, I don’t think wars were fought like they are today – just like sports aren’t played like they used to be. Everything now is “extreme,” meaning… well, not “fair,” if that can be applied to either aspect.
@Andrea – November 11th is Remembrance Day in Canada when we pay our respects to the Armed Forces and their sacrifices. The Americans do much of their respects on Memorial Day in May. Different dates, same respect. Since “The Other Coast” is a Canadian strip, it makes sense he is doing the tribute this week.
Many of those “self-indulgent, narcissistic crybabies” were drafted into a war that was much worse than Europe, every bit as bad as the Pacific, and they don’t talk about it either.
In war, you never want to be in a “fair” fight … you always want the advantage .. the stakes are too high to lose. And there was little fair about the gas used during WW I.
Sad comments in a lot of ways: 1) the mini-bio of the cartoonist notes that he is from New Zealand via England to the U.S. So, his awareness of WW-II & WW-I is different than that of what has evolved in the U.S. (in part, the numbers and percentages of casualties and in part how our governments, churches and others have chosen to treat war and the suffering that goes with it – here we prefer to do lots of wrapped-in-the-flag, everybody is a hero-warrior, and ignore the men and women who were doing the fighting); 2) It is only after Vietnam that politics has swallowed the actualities of war and made it a campaign issue. The WW-I generation did not condemn their children who tried to keep us out of another war – the men and women I knew from WW-II never condemned the children they raised to live in a better-life, post-Depression, post-death world. My father, a career navy person, discouraged both his sons from becoming part of the military. He knew what happens
So far as “self-indulgent, narcissistic crybabies,” I suggest the writer go to veterans of Korea and Vietnam say that to their faces. Perhaps that might get a better reception with some other audiences.
I went to grad school with an Englishman who is veteran of the “Falklands War”. When the discussion turn to that event, he very seriously declined to make any comment. My conclusion is that war is hell regardless of the side one is on and that is something that those who have never fought (including me) will really understand.
Here in Canada, we acknowledge the 11th or the 11th of the 11th. It is called Remembrance Day and it is our tradition to wear a small plastic poppy flower on our coats and jackets.
Those ``plastic`poppies used to be red felt and had BOTH the black with green felt centres. In grade school and through most of high school, we would gather in the gym for a short speech and 2 minutes of silence. Then we started to have the mornings off to attend services. I belonged to the choral club and we would attend the services to lead everyone in the hymns. .Andrea – The Royal Cdn Legion works through the schools with a `contest` for poems etc – one to be selected to be read at the services.
It is still a big deal in the schools. All the schools that I have taught in have veterans come in to talk to the students. We spend the morning reflecting and learning about the horrors of war, and of the selfless acts of the veterans. My father was young in WWII, but he was in Russia and ended up in German camps. He would not talk about it much, until he retired. Then he wrote his memoirs. With the advancement of publishing online, it is now available to all to read.
Others forgotten during the wars are the nurses. My mother was a Lt. in Army Nurses Corps during WW2. She rarely spoke of her experiences, but she did tell us some of the famous patients she had, or famous people she met. All soldiers, (except for Elenore Roosevelt) , Patton and a very old Black Jack Pershing, Jimmy Doolittle, etc. Once she started to tell me about some of the nurses captured at Corregidor by the Japanese that she had taken care of. Her eyes welled up with tears, and her voice cracked, she had this far off look in her eyes, and she never ever spoke of it again.
Corregidor nurses were evacuated (over their objections) before it was taken. However, a dozen were captured on the Luzon mainland and four on Guam. Back when the grognards were objecting to women in combat on grounds that they might be captured, I would bring up those POWs. They ended up with the civilians interned at San Tomas, where their skills were desperately needed.
Here in the US we used to have contest for posters and poems in the schools for Memorial Day. (May 30th) as to Dec. 7th, Last year I was checking out at a store and mentioned that this was “the day that will live in infamy”. the clerk, A COLLEGE STUDENT!, looked at me and said, “Oh, is today your birthday??” JEEEEEEEZ!!!!!!
StoicLion1973 about 13 years ago
Except they raised a generation of self-indulgent, narcissistic crybabies.
ChazNCenTex about 13 years ago
Andrea@home: I thought the 11th hour, etc. referred to World War I?
Possum Pete about 13 years ago
Chasm_b,
You’re right it is WWI but, when you’re trying to be ignorant and say that Americans don’t really care about their Vets like Andrea, do facts matter?
MatureCanadian about 13 years ago
This strip is so true. My Dad was a vet of WWII and very rarely spoke about what he did in Europe.
Thanks.
moe_the_cat about 13 years ago
I still call it “Armistice Day”, you should see the looks I get.To give you an idea of how little people know of history, I mentioned to a coworker that I had a lot of audio material we could use on our radio show for Dec 7.She said “What’s December seventh?”
Barbaratoo about 13 years ago
My dad didn’t talk about it, either. He did tell funny stories once in a while. When he was in North Africa, he and some buddies went to swipe some watermelons from a field that was guarded by, of all things, camels. They were creeping along when they heard that snuffle/snort that camels do and the guys “high tailed” it back to camp! He also told of some rhymes that they said that today are totally politically incorrect. Other than that, nothing. And, for what it’s worth, I don’t think wars were fought like they are today – just like sports aren’t played like they used to be. Everything now is “extreme,” meaning… well, not “fair,” if that can be applied to either aspect.
Geldhart about 13 years ago
@Andrea – November 11th is Remembrance Day in Canada when we pay our respects to the Armed Forces and their sacrifices. The Americans do much of their respects on Memorial Day in May. Different dates, same respect. Since “The Other Coast” is a Canadian strip, it makes sense he is doing the tribute this week.
route66paul about 13 years ago
Many of those “self-indulgent, narcissistic crybabies” were drafted into a war that was much worse than Europe, every bit as bad as the Pacific, and they don’t talk about it either.
drdougsteward about 13 years ago
In war, you never want to be in a “fair” fight … you always want the advantage .. the stakes are too high to lose. And there was little fair about the gas used during WW I.
relwod about 13 years ago
Lest we forget! Thanks Adrian for this strip and no doubt another mention in your “Editiorial”.
othersouth about 13 years ago
Sad comments in a lot of ways: 1) the mini-bio of the cartoonist notes that he is from New Zealand via England to the U.S. So, his awareness of WW-II & WW-I is different than that of what has evolved in the U.S. (in part, the numbers and percentages of casualties and in part how our governments, churches and others have chosen to treat war and the suffering that goes with it – here we prefer to do lots of wrapped-in-the-flag, everybody is a hero-warrior, and ignore the men and women who were doing the fighting); 2) It is only after Vietnam that politics has swallowed the actualities of war and made it a campaign issue. The WW-I generation did not condemn their children who tried to keep us out of another war – the men and women I knew from WW-II never condemned the children they raised to live in a better-life, post-Depression, post-death world. My father, a career navy person, discouraged both his sons from becoming part of the military. He knew what happens
So far as “self-indulgent, narcissistic crybabies,” I suggest the writer go to veterans of Korea and Vietnam say that to their faces. Perhaps that might get a better reception with some other audiences.
brewwitch about 13 years ago
I went to grad school with an Englishman who is veteran of the “Falklands War”. When the discussion turn to that event, he very seriously declined to make any comment. My conclusion is that war is hell regardless of the side one is on and that is something that those who have never fought (including me) will really understand.
Here in Canada, we acknowledge the 11th or the 11th of the 11th. It is called Remembrance Day and it is our tradition to wear a small plastic poppy flower on our coats and jackets.
Hunter7 about 13 years ago
Those ``plastic`poppies used to be red felt and had BOTH the black with green felt centres. In grade school and through most of high school, we would gather in the gym for a short speech and 2 minutes of silence. Then we started to have the mornings off to attend services. I belonged to the choral club and we would attend the services to lead everyone in the hymns. .Andrea – The Royal Cdn Legion works through the schools with a `contest` for poems etc – one to be selected to be read at the services.
mesachie about 13 years ago
It is still a big deal in the schools. All the schools that I have taught in have veterans come in to talk to the students. We spend the morning reflecting and learning about the horrors of war, and of the selfless acts of the veterans. My father was young in WWII, but he was in Russia and ended up in German camps. He would not talk about it much, until he retired. Then he wrote his memoirs. With the advancement of publishing online, it is now available to all to read.
Dry and Dusty Premium Member about 13 years ago
Others forgotten during the wars are the nurses. My mother was a Lt. in Army Nurses Corps during WW2. She rarely spoke of her experiences, but she did tell us some of the famous patients she had, or famous people she met. All soldiers, (except for Elenore Roosevelt) , Patton and a very old Black Jack Pershing, Jimmy Doolittle, etc. Once she started to tell me about some of the nurses captured at Corregidor by the Japanese that she had taken care of. Her eyes welled up with tears, and her voice cracked, she had this far off look in her eyes, and she never ever spoke of it again.
Thehag about 13 years ago
“In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses row on row….” John McCrae
hippogriff about 13 years ago
Corregidor nurses were evacuated (over their objections) before it was taken. However, a dozen were captured on the Luzon mainland and four on Guam. Back when the grognards were objecting to women in combat on grounds that they might be captured, I would bring up those POWs. They ended up with the civilians interned at San Tomas, where their skills were desperately needed.
teddyr about 13 years ago
Here in the US we used to have contest for posters and poems in the schools for Memorial Day. (May 30th) as to Dec. 7th, Last year I was checking out at a store and mentioned that this was “the day that will live in infamy”. the clerk, A COLLEGE STUDENT!, looked at me and said, “Oh, is today your birthday??” JEEEEEEEZ!!!!!!