David Miliband

Remembrance

My first memory of Remembrance Sunday is from when we lived in Leeds and I watched the service on our black and white TV in the 1970s. The unchanging nature of the service, as the veterans age with time, adds to its impact. The 90th anniversary of the conclusion of the First World War, and the dwindling number of veterans, adds to the importance of teaching (and learning) about/from our history.

Remembrance for me is a reminder for me, first, of the horrors of war. Every war is a diplomatic failure and a defiance of the better side of human nature. Second, remembrance is about large numbers of deaths, but really the focus should be individual. As the Chief of Defence Staff wrote in a powerful article on Sunday every death is an individual story of husband, wife, son, and daughter. We ask a lot of our armed forces and their families and every tour of duty carries risk and pain. Third, remembrance is a reminder of how the British people have and will stand up for what is right.

People worried in the 1970s that remembrance would go out of fashion. My father served for three years in the Second World War in the navy and I knew how much we as a family owed to British sacrifice. So I welcome the renewed urgency and commitment to remembrance.

Posted at 10:43 11 November 2008 by David Miliband  |  Comments[3]