We Will Remember Them

Today we went to the National Arboretum at Alrewas. As per usual, you never appreciate what is on your doorstep sometimes. It's like having Chasewater at the back of our house and also Cannock Chase not far away. I think the problem is that when you move into an area you go into an expedition phase where you have a need to find out everything about where you live. So, having lived in the area since I was younger, Cannock Chase was just a big park where me and my mates used to play.

So when we heard about the Arboretum a few years ago and the plans involved, we didn't really appreciate the importance of such an achievement. So, the sun was out today and didn't want to drive far, plus my camera was charged up, ready to go, we took our first trip there.

The pictures of the main memorial have been seen countless times in the press and on the television but it doesn't prepare you for how impressive it is.

The unsettling thing is how long will it take to fill the remaining space with names. We hear nearly every day how many soldiers have died in Afghanistan but the sheer number who have died in the main two wars is staggering. Even if you don't know any of the names on the wall or have a family connection with them, it is a solemn sobering sight. The grounds themselves are meticulously maintained and from the top you get a great panoramic vista of the whole site, which is huge. We didn't have time to discover even half of it which gives us an excuse for another day out.

The other sights that struck a chord with me was the odd person sitting quietly, dotted around the site, with their own thoughts. What I noticed was how smart they were dressed and wondered what individual stories they could tell. Stories of friendship, travel and adventure mixed with worry, sadness and extreme horror. There is a whole generation of stories that we are sadly losing year on year with our youngsters never being able to fully appreciate their struggles and heroism for our freedom. I always wonder if we were to suffer the next big war and there was a call up for young people to fight for their country, how many would refuse. I have a feeling that if we had to pull together as a country once more, it wouldn't be as successful as earlier generations.