Remembrance Day events honour fallen soldiers around the world

By David Silverberg Nov 11, 2011 in World

Today millions of people around the world are offering a tribute to veterans and soldiers who lost their lives to war. On the 11th hour of the 11th minute, participants will take a moment of silence to honour fallen soldiers.

In Canada, it's called Remembrance Day, in the US it's known as Veterans Day and the UK marks Armistice Day on Nov. 11. No matter the name, the intention remains the same: honouring soldiers past and present with special events and moments of silence.

The ubiquitous poppy has been seen on many coats and jackets the past week as the world commemorates soldiers who took part in conflicts ranging from Vietnam to the Second World War.

In Canada, many war veterans and onlookers gathered at the National War Memorial in Ottawa. For the first time, the Canadian War Museum is livestreaming their Remembrance Day events. In London, a ceremony took over the Cenotaph in Whitehall. Later today, the Obamas will attend a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, where the U.S. president will make remarks, as USA Today reports.

ABC News provides telling statistics about the size of the U.S. military: There are now 2,317,761 men and women in uniform. "Of this total number, 1,348,405 have been deployed since the Sept. 11 attacks," the infographic writes. Also, around 1,981,000 veterans of World War II are alive.

Taking part in Nov. 11 events isn't always a top priority for Canadians, a survey found. About one-third of Canadians say they annually participate in a Veterans’ Week activity such as a local Remembrance Day ceremony, the Ottawa Citizen reports. “While two-thirds of respondents ... indicate that they make an effort to demonstrate their appreciation to Veterans, reported participation in Veterans’ Week activities is much lower,” reads a summary of the results, as the Citizen writes.

To recognize Remembrance Day, DigitalJournal.com would like to invite you to share stories of your family members and friends who have served or continue to serve your country. No matter where you live in the world, we want to hear your stories. For all of you who have known someone who has fought or someone who is still actively peacekeeping, we hope you will leave a comment, share this story via your social networks, and mark this day of remembrance.

The red poppy has become a symbol of Remembrance Day due to the poem "In Flanders Fields" by John McCrae. The poem was written about the poppies blooming across some of the worst battlefields of Flanders in World War I.

Photo by David Huang

BC Premier Christy Clark, Health Minister Michael de Jong, Canadian High Commissioner Stewart Beck and Col. Stephen LaPlante arrive at the Delhi War Cemetery in New Delhi, India to observe a moment of silence on the occasion of Remembrance Day.

Photo courtesy government of British Columbia