The First World War ended 93 years ago when the guns fell silent at 11:00 on the 11th of November 1918. The armistice ended the first phase of a global conflict that saw an unprecedented carnage that bled an entire generation. The ensuing peace was but a breathing space that would later burst into a flaming resurgence with Hitler’s aggression in 1939 and his attack on Poland. Once again the Western democracies girded themselves for a titanic struggle with the totalitarian Axis powers of Germany, Italy and Japan.
The USSR, an early ally of Hitler’s Germany that participated in the savage dismemberment of Poland, belatedly joined the western allies after Hitler turned on Russia after consolidating his grasp on the rest of Europe. The ensuing global war ended in 1945 after the collapse of Germany and the capitulation of Japan after two nuclear attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
In this Second Great War the cost in human life was staggering and the destruction wrought reached unprecedented proportions. Though the cause of freedom was eventually triumphant, the final victory was not always certain.
To commemorate the heroism and sacrifice of the fallen, nations around the globe mark 11 November as Remembrance Day, Armistice Day or Veteran’s Day. On that day, the Cadet Corps of the Secondary Schools and their pupils, hold a special ceremony to remember those alumni that fell in the two great wars. Today, Remembrance Sunday, we in Barbados remember our fallen heroes with solemn ceremonies at the Cenotaph in Hero’s Square.
It is a time not only to remember those that paid the ultimate sacrifice in the defence of freedom, but to also honor those who have placed themselves in harm’s way in the continuing struggle against totalitarian rule.
Generations of Barbadians have grown up in a world made safe for them by countless millions who resisted the jack boot of tyranny. They came from all quarters of the globe and fought to ensure that we could live in a land of peace and democracy where the rule of law prevailed. For this we should all give thanks, and never forget that the price of freedom can be a heavy price indeed.
Today the world is still a dangerous place. The bastions of freedom continue to be assaulted by Islamic radicals, narco-terrorists and through the corruption of organized criminal activity that particularly threaten the national security of small island states. Today’s conflicts are more by stealth than by frontal assault, thus all the more dangerous. We owe it to those who sacrificed so much, to stand guard against despots and cartels that would erode our cherished values in our exercise of free will and in the belief of liberty, the rule of law and equal justice for all.
As we remember those that sacrificed so much for us it is also a time to honor our men and women of today’s Barbados Defence Force as well as members of the Regional Security System who guard our shores. Their work is arduous and dangerous as they battle not only those that deal in addiction and death, but with the elements on the sea and in the air as well.
We should never forget that for all of us, the price of freedom is eternal vigilance.
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