Politics
We will ALWAYS remember to look after our heroes in the British Armed Forces
THIS Remembrance Sunday, a generation of veterans and serving personnel will be reflecting in particular on the end of our 20-year engagement in Afghanistan — on the friends and comrades they have lost, as well as the Afghans they had to leave behind.
This year’s dramatic — and at times dangerous — evacuation from Kabul was emotionally distressing for many of the tens of thousands who have served with the British Armed Forces to keep al-Qaeda away from our shores and to try to bring peace and stability to war-torn Afghanistan.
ReutersWe need to ensure the lessons that we learn are not forgotten[/caption]
The dust has not yet settled in Kabul and we continue to work with many of our Afghan comrades to bring them to the UK.
Their service epitomises the spirit and sacrifice that people around the UK and the world pay tribute to on this day every year.
Every veteran has their own conflict. For me, it was Northern Ireland and Operation Banner; for others it will be the wars in the Gulf or the Second World War.
Remembrance is deeply personal — we all know veterans who never talk about their experience, and others who take comfort in confiding in their friends and those they served with about the horrors they witnessed.
Every November, not only are we remembering the sacrifices made on our behalf by our Armed Forces, but we are also bearing witness to the never-ending cycle of the present becoming the past.
As we do so, we need to ensure the lessons that we learn are not forgotten.
As the Royal British Legion celebrates its centenary and the First World War slowly slips from living memory, we must redouble our efforts to remember those who lost their lives.
The descendants of those who fought in the Great War have succeeded in immortalising the brave men of that terrible conflict by creating an uninterrupted century of solemn remembrance.
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My duty, and the duty of other leaders in defence, is to honour our dead by ensuring we continue to remember the values so many fought and died to defend.
A Europe free of Nazis, a Malaysia and South Korea free from Communism, a Falklands free to choose its future, an Iraq without a dictator and an Afghanistan that for 20 years has not been used as a base to launch terror attacks against the UK and our friends.
This year, the Government published a new plan to modernise defence.
The world is a more anxious and insecure place than it has been for many years, but we are determined to prepare our Forces for whatever may come next, making sure they are designed to fight tomorrow’s battles, not yesterday’s.
Our Forces will have better accommodation, better equipment and more varied opportunities to serve on behalf of their nation.
I am sure that in our lifetimes another generation will be called forward and may be asked to make the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of this nation.
It is my job to ensure they are ready and equipped, because this Government will always back our Armed Forces.
There are many mottos evoked by Remembrance, but the one I always write on my wreath is the one that should be most important to us all: Lest we forget.
HandoutWe must redouble our efforts to remember those who lost their lives.[/caption]
Returning crowds are set to join Queen at The Cenotaph
THE country will fall silent at 11am today to remember members of the Armed Forces who died in conflict from the First World War onwards.
Eight thousand veterans and a grateful nation will pay their respects at the National Service of Remembrance at London’s Whitehall.
A two-minute silence will be held, with members of the Royal Family and politicians laying wreaths at The Cenotaph.
Events will be broadcast live on BBC, Sky and ITV, along with YouTube. At last year’s service only a handful of veterans were allowed to attend due to Covid restrictions.
PM Boris Johnson said: “Today we come together to remember those who sacrificed everything in service of our country, in the First World War and every conflict since, including recently in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“It is a sacred ceremony that has endured for more than a century because we know the debt we owe those brave servicemen and women.
“We know that for our tomorrow they gave their today. And we know that here at home, and around the world, thousands of men and women in uniform still stand ready to defend our unity and our way of life, our values, at a cost few would be willing to pay.”
Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries added: “I hope people across the country will join today in remembering those to whom we owe so much.”
Chief of the Defence Staff General Sir Nick Carter added: “It is an honour to lay a wreath on behalf of those who lost their lives in serving our country.
“They died to protect the free and open way of life we enjoy.”
