Remembering the Fallen

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This weekend is marked as Remembrance Weekend here in the UK and its origins go back to the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918 - the end of the Great War/World War I. Tonight, with tears of sorrow and pride, I shall watch the UK's famous Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall in London and tomorrow I shall watch the march past at the Cenotaph in London when the leaders of our political parties and the Royal Family will be laying wreaths. Every year I buy my poppy and wear it with pride on my jacket and this year is particularly poignant as it marks the centenary of the 1918 armistice. I will be thinking about my Great Uncle Bertie who went missing in the Great War and the family never knew what happened to him. I;ll also be remembering my dad and three of my uncles who all fought in the Second World War. My father was a bodyguard to a high ranking army officer and he was one of the thousands who landed on the beaches of Normandy and battled through the German bombardment as he tried to scramble to safety. One of my uncles was in the parachute regiment and was dropped behind enemy lines. But thankfully they all returned safely although, sadly, they've now all passed away. More recently, my partner Adam was in the Royal Air Force and, although he was not called to fight, he was prepared to do so; and so many of our pilot friends found themselves fighting in the Falklands War and the war in Iraq in the mid 1980's. We'll never stop war but we can at least remember those people who gave up their lives over the centuries - both military and civilian ... and let's not forget the dogs, pigeons horses etc who died and who, unfortunately, had no say in the matter. Is there anyone else out there who's lost someone during any of our 20th/21st century conflicts? How is remembrance commemorated in other countries? I'd be really interested to know.