7 News Belize

V Is For Veterans
posted (November 11, 2015)

If you took notice today you probably saw lots of folks walking around with a red poppy pinned on their clothing. It's not a decoration or accessory – it's a sign of remembrance for the men and women who fought and served during World Wars 1 and 2. Tonight, we take you back to 1914 and tell you why today is significant.

"In Flanders fields the poppies blow. Between the crosses, row on row,"

Those are the 2 opening lines of the Great War Poem written by Canadian John McCrae in 1915.

It was written in remembrance of all the men who fought in World War 1 and 2.

At the Ex-Servicemen League's office, the walls are filled with picture frames of men and women who played a key role in the war.

Ulric Jones, Margarito Petillo and Alfred Lucious Pandy are just a few out of over 1,000 men who volunteered to go to war.

While their pictures are immortalized and propped on this wall

Their sacrifice and memory live on beyond the grave.

Bernard Adolphus - Member of the Ex-Servicemen League

"When the war started it all happened when a gentleman by the name of Mr. Hitler wanted to control everybody and the world. He took Poland many years ago but nonetheless the alias was able to organize everybody, all the commonwealth countries together and as a result you and I are here today. But the thing is a number of men from the commonwealth, when the request came out, a number from the Caribbean, Jamaica, Barbados, Belize, particularly Belize. Over 1,000 men volunteered and went. And it's interesting to note that the majority of these men came from Dangriga, Stan Creek and Punta Gorda Belize but they all came from the country."

"We have quite a few of our men here and it's important that we keep remembering these people. The poppy is a symbol is remembrance and everybody in this country should have purchased one because we have some of our veterans who down and out. There was no pension involved so we have to help them."

"Now when you look at it because these men fought the rules of law automatically change. Because of them we have peace to a certain extent and freedom. We have to always remember them, not only one time for the year but we do that. We should have them in memory that's why we go on Facebook, that's why we have an office and that office represents these men. You have a memorial park and every year the uniform services along with all the higher officials go out there and pay homage along with the family members; which is important. Without that we have lost."

There are only about 20 war veterans alive in Belize, 10 of whom the Ex-servicemen League are assisting.

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