Armistice Day & Remembrance Day – Honouring Service and Sacrifice

THIS REMEMBRANCE, I WANT TO REMEMBER THE LIVING TOO.

Every year, we rightly bow our heads and remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice. The men and women who went to war and never came home. Those whose names are carved into memorials, whose families were left behind, and whose tomorrows were given for our todays.

And we must never, ever stop remembering them.

But this year, I want to take a moment to remember the ordinary men and women too.

The ones who served. The ones who still serve. The ones who quietly gave years of their lives to something bigger than themselves.

My Ash. Ten years of military service. A man who has already given a decade of his life to his country, yet would willingly put that uniform back on, rejoin and serve tomorrow if he were needed.

Amy's husband. Currently serving. Still doing his duty, still making the sacrifices that military life asks of both the soldier and the family waiting at home.

Macey's partner. Another serving soldier, another person doing an extraordinary job while simply getting on with everyday life.

Macey herself. A former reservist who also stepped forward and chose to serve.

My nephew. Currently serving in the Royal Air Force. Another generation of my family wearing the uniform.

And then there are the thousands upon thousands of others. The veterans who came home and quietly got on with life. The serving personnel who miss birthdays, Christmases, anniversaries and ordinary Tuesday evenings with their families. The reservists who balance civilian lives with a commitment to serve.

The people who don't think of themselves as heroes. Who will tell you they were simply doing their job. But what a job it is.

Remembrance will always be about those we have lost. Their sacrifice deserves our eternal gratitude.

But I also want to say thank you to those who came home, those who are still serving, and those who would answer the call again without hesitation.

Because behind every uniform is an ordinary human being who made an extraordinary commitment.

We remember the fallen. We honour those who served. And we stand beside those who still do.

Lest We FoForget.