It was a beautiful
day for this year’s Remembrance Sunday services. I joined the Royal British
Legion at Redruth in the morning, and then went on to Illogan in the afternoon.
This year marks the centenary of the Battle of the Somme and Battle of Jutland,
as well as the 25th anniversary of the Gulf War.
2016 saw twenty
one Second World War veterans from across Cornwall being presented with the
Légion d’honneur. The French Government has been awarding the Légion d’honneur
to D-Day veterans from many different countries as a way of honouring and thanking
those who fought and risked their lives to secure France’s liberation during
the Second World War. The Légion d’honneur was established in 1802 by
Napoléon Bonaparte and is France’s highest distinction and is awarded in
recognition of both military and civilian merit.
However, we also
have more recent scars from conflict. There is no doubt in my mind that
the difficult operations in both Iraq and Afghanistan in recent years has made
the public far more conscious of sacrifices made by our armed forces. We owe
those who have given up so much at such a young age all the support they need
to help them build their lives back, especially those who suffered life
changing injuries during those terrible conflicts. Charities such as Help for
Heroes, the Army Benevolent Fund and the Royal British Legion do just that,
helping people recover not just from the physical but also mental difficulties
that come from being exposed to war.
It was good to see
such a strong attendance from all the various Cadet groups, Scouts and
Brownies. It is great to see these movements going from strength to strength,
and the young people that represent them always do us proud.
