"I vow to thee, my country, all earthly things above,
Entire and whole and perfect, the service of my love:
The love that asks no question, the love that stands the test,
That lays upon the altar the dearest and the best;
The love that never falters, the love that pays the price,
The love that makes undaunted the final sacrifice.
And there's another country, I've heard of long ago,
Most dear to them that love her, most great to them that know;
We may not count her armies, we may not see her King;
Her fortress is a faithful heart, her pride is suffering;
And soul by soul and silently her shining bounds increase,
And her ways are ways of gentleness and all her path"
My favourite hymn of all time and very poignant for Remembrance day is severing as tribute to those who have served our country. Myself I come from a long line of Military tradition my Great Grandads were both in the First World War one met with a tragic ending which you can read about here and please do as it serves as a reminder of the struggles and heart breaks our arm forces go through.
My Great Grandad on my dads side was a messenger to no one less than Lawrence of Arabia he never spoke of the Great War I only ever say him in his bead as he struggled with the effect of Millers lung. But what a life he must have led and I am forever in his gratitude even though I was only a little girl when I saw him on a few occasions.
My Grandad was in the RAF as an engineer and saw service in Africa where he witnessed many a horror such as the death of colleagues one of whom I believe was an heir to the drinks company Hennessy.
My own Grandad on my mother side worked for GPO which was the (General Post office ) in his war days he worked in Churchill Cabinet War , he had dealings with Bletchley Park ( that of the Engima fame ) and apparently worked in many other secret tunnels in London . He never really spoke about what he did even when he could he was a man of honour , a man of worth and above all he was Grandad. He was part of keeping the world safe for the likes of you and I and I think sometimes in this frivolous world we tend to forget that sometimes.
So today if you can if you own way think of the sacrifice and serve these brave men and women gave.
Entire and whole and perfect, the service of my love:
The love that asks no question, the love that stands the test,
That lays upon the altar the dearest and the best;
The love that never falters, the love that pays the price,
The love that makes undaunted the final sacrifice.
And there's another country, I've heard of long ago,
Most dear to them that love her, most great to them that know;
We may not count her armies, we may not see her King;
Her fortress is a faithful heart, her pride is suffering;
And soul by soul and silently her shining bounds increase,
And her ways are ways of gentleness and all her path"
My favourite hymn of all time and very poignant for Remembrance day is severing as tribute to those who have served our country. Myself I come from a long line of Military tradition my Great Grandads were both in the First World War one met with a tragic ending which you can read about here and please do as it serves as a reminder of the struggles and heart breaks our arm forces go through.
We will Remember. |
My Great Grandad on my dads side was a messenger to no one less than Lawrence of Arabia he never spoke of the Great War I only ever say him in his bead as he struggled with the effect of Millers lung. But what a life he must have led and I am forever in his gratitude even though I was only a little girl when I saw him on a few occasions.
My Grandad was in the RAF as an engineer and saw service in Africa where he witnessed many a horror such as the death of colleagues one of whom I believe was an heir to the drinks company Hennessy.
My own Grandad on my mother side worked for GPO which was the (General Post office ) in his war days he worked in Churchill Cabinet War , he had dealings with Bletchley Park ( that of the Engima fame ) and apparently worked in many other secret tunnels in London . He never really spoke about what he did even when he could he was a man of honour , a man of worth and above all he was Grandad. He was part of keeping the world safe for the likes of you and I and I think sometimes in this frivolous world we tend to forget that sometimes.
So today if you can if you own way think of the sacrifice and serve these brave men and women gave.
Lovely words and memories for you. Mine are all off to sub, scout and brownie parade tomorrow, under protest I might add but I feel it is important!
ReplyDeleteThank you x my son is playing rugby but we are stoping for the 2 minute silence.
DeleteImportant memories, thanks for sharing them. My partner will be on parade with his Explorer Scouts and the children and I will be there to pay our respects too. Never forget.
ReplyDeleteA moving poem. We are a military family, my Dad was in the RAF until he retire out after 40 years, his father and grandfather also served.
ReplyDeleteWe'll be at the parade in the morning.
I work weekends so dont get chance to go to this sort of occasion. All service personal do an honourable job. I grew up in the RAF and rememebr my dad being in a different country than us a lot of the time as where he was was not always suitable for families to be.
ReplyDeleteGreat post thanks for sharing it
What a beautiful post. It is so important that we remember these sacrifices.
ReplyDeleteA beautiful image and a fascinating story!
ReplyDeleteThat poem is beautiful and moving. It's so important to remember the sacrifices men and women made as we move onwards x
ReplyDeleteLovely poem, thank you for sharing your story. Really moving post. xx
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing the poem and the memories of your family members. As a United States Navy Veteran, I have found that the people of UK do a lot to honour those who have died for freedom around the world.
ReplyDeleteGreat post, very important we remember the fallen and the soldiers currently serving.
ReplyDelete