In its coverage of Remembrance Sunday, the BBC has emphasised the parade of veterans marching past the Cenotaph. This is all very well, but it does slightly play to the perceived stereotype that this day is irrelevant for young people. My experience around the country is very different as I have seen hundreds of teenagers selling poppies and marching past war memorials in towns and cities. Most of these are Sea, Army and Air Cadets, but there are also Scouts and Guides and other youth organisations who come to line the route today.
I believe it is really important to emphasise that this is not just about the past, but also the future. John McCrae’s iconic poem hits the nail on the head in the final verse: “Take up our quarrel with the foe, To you from falling hands we throw the torch. Be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die, We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders fields.”
During the past 30 years, organisers have widened the commemoration to include those who are affected directly or indirectly by armed conflict, or have lost loved ones in acts of terror. This is entirely appropriate, but we also need our young people to understand Remembrance and encourage them to take up “the torch”.
Rupert Wieloch 