In Remembrance

"They shall grow not old as we that are left grow old: 
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. 
At the going down of the sun and in the morning 
We will remember them"


I attended the ceremony at the Chesham War Memorial this morning to pay my respects and give thanks to those who have served so bravely to defend the freedom we enjoy today.  Even though it was a busy market day, you could have heard a pin drop during the two minute silence.  Both of my grandfathers served in the Great War - Mum's father Leonard was stationed in India and Dad's father Stanley endured the prolonged nightmare of the trenches on the Western Front, being gassed and going over the top.  Although they both survived the experience, the horrors of war turned Leonard from being a deeply religious man into an atheist, and Stanley never spoke a single word for the rest of his life about the terrible things he must have witnessed.  Dad himself served in the RAF during World War II, having lied about his age in order to volunteer.

One of the most moving moments for me this morning happened just after the short service of remembrance at the War Memorial.  While I was taking pictures of the wreaths and statue (extra photo is a wreath sent from the Chelsea Pensioners), a lady walked up beside me to one of the columns containing the lists of Chesham people who gave their lives.  Gently, almost imperceptibly, she ran her fingers along one of the names, then quietly walked away.