Stamps Issued For Memorial Days.

Posts by Jubilee and David Giles on Jopie's Australian Armed forces thread, awakened me into starting a thread about the subject.

Tonight here in Israel, we have just entered Memorial day. A time to remember fallen soldiers of Israel's Wars. From 8pm until 8pm tomorrow all Flags are at half-mast. Tonight, there was a one-minute siren, when the whole of the country stands still...even cars on the motorway stop and the passengers alight.It is a sight to behold.

But it is also a very solemn occasion, especially for those who have lost loved ones, friends, neighbours and family.
And as Memorial Day ends, Independence Day begins and the mood changes from the solemn one of the day gone to one of joy and happiness and parties and music.
These two days have always fascinated me ever since I came to this land...a complete contrast and yet so connected.

I have just returned from our Memorial Ceremony which takes place outside our clubhouse. Quiet music and song, readings to honour the fallen and special words for those of our village who did not come home from Battle.
This is their day.
My daughter was one of those reading. It was a family member that was shot and killed in the fields of our village during the Yom Kippur War in 1973.

This was my daughter speaking tonight;



Every year, Israel Post issues a stamp for this day. Usually a simple design with inland letter rate, but sometimes they can be most beautiful.

Here is a full sheet of the 2009 Memorial Day issue;



...and here is this years issue;



Every year too, Israel Post delivers special Self-adhesive stickers to every household, and flags are given free with Newspapers.
These two days are truly special.

Here is this years sticker, which is worn by almost everyone during the Ceremony and throughout the next day. this one goes into my collection !



A bigger version is also sent to use at the Ceremony, often differing in design.



If anyone else has some stamps from Memorial days in your country, then post them here, and tell us about the day and how it is remembered.

Thanks

Londonbus1......Remembering.

You must be very proud of your daughter. Thanks for sharing.

You're welcome Rohumpy !

Has anyone got any other Memorial day issues from their, or other, countries ??

Coming up....Independence Day Stamp Issues....worldwide.

https://goscf.com/t/7925

Londonbus1....celebrating

Thank you for this memorial day post. The US has a number of issues honoring veterans (especially fallen ones) from various wars but I can't recall of even one issue specifically for Memorial Day. The tradition day is May 30 but is now celebrated on the last Monday of every May. It has been so long since any war has been fought on our soil that I'm afraid that many of us have forgotten the sacrifices of our soldiers. I salute Israel and pray the the peace she so dearly wants.

Great post Michael! Having been to Israel three times and having spent a lot of time talking and celebrating with Israeli sailors, I have a fair sense of the special brotherhood/sisterhood within the Israeli people.

And you have a great looking young daughter! I'm sure you have every reason to be a proud young (?????) Papa!

Thanks guys for the nice comments.

And thanks from the State of Israel too

So let's see some more memorial issues. From your country !!

Londonbus1

That's very moving Michael. Thanks for the story. I'm a sucker for that level of respect

I hope you don't mind if I include these here, as they don't actually fit the thread as they aren't for our Anzac Day.

In 2008, Australia and New Zealand issued stamps for the 90th anniversary of the end of WW1. The prestige folder contains a mini-sheet from each country, and "In Flanders Field", the poem by John McCrae








A coin cover (called a PNC in Australia) was also issued and is gorgeous IMHO.

In 1968, Canada released a commemorative in honour of John McCrae. The poem is still recited every year at Remembrance Day, Nov. 11 (known as Armistice Day in the U.S., the date of signing the armistice which ended World War 1).

Ryan

In 1968, Canada issued a special stamp commemorating the 50th anniversary of the
untimely death during the first world war of one of its sons. Lieutenant Colonel John
McCrae, the soldier poet who wrote the famous poem, "In Flanders Fields"


The original poem, now in the public archives of Canada was written in an artillery
dug-out during the 2nd battle of Ypes on 3rd May 1915.


In Flanders fields the poppies blow,
Between the crosses row on row,
that mark our place, and in the sky
the larks, still singing, bravely fly.
Scarce heard amid the guns below,
We are the dead, short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow.
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up your quarrel with the foe,
To you from failing hands we throw
the torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us that die.
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

In Flanders Fields has become the most frequently quoted
poem written by a Canadian. A reproduction of the first two
lines of the original poem in the author's own handwriting is
shown on the stamp, but in a subsequent copy presented by
McCrae to the Royal Victoria Hospital Montreal the word
"blow" had been changed to "grow"

A controversial point which has been argued to this day.
Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae died of pneumonia in a
military hospital in France 28th January 1918

Well, I have to eat my words; the POW MIA stamp was issued on Memorial Day 1995.




An Armistice Day issue for the Vietnam Memorial. The Memorial Wall is said to have brought major healing for a nation bitterly divided by the Vietnam war:




A WW II Memorial:




There are a number of issues memorializing individuals who died in service to the nation. One of my favorites is The four Chaplains. The troop ship, USS Dorchester, was struck by a torpedo on Feb 3, 1943. On board were two Protestant pastors, a Catholic priest and a Jewish rabbi. When they saw that there were not enough life jackets for everyone they voluntarily gave their's to other soldiers. They were last seen by witnesses standing arm-in-arm on the ship as it went down. Almost 700 died, making it the third largest loss at sea of its kind for the United States during World War II.

"In Flanders fields..." (see previous posts)

SCF member Barb sent me some "soldiers mail" covers
from WW1
Amongst them was a local "Windy City Echo"
newspaper of the Chicago 13th RAILWAY Engineers US army Verdun.

Here is a response to McRae's famous poem,
dated 13th January 1919
Proving McRae's poem was well know then...

MEMORIAL DAY, 2011

Wow! Doesn't a year go by quickly!
Here I am again, back from the Memorial Day Ceremony and it felt like the last one had only just passed......I must be getting old old!

Once again a very moving Ceremony and once again my little girl took part....



We had Soldier guests,



We lit candles and laid flowers for the six villagers who died in battle...



The Flame of Remembrance,





Once again, Israel issued a single stamp, basic rate. The stamp shows a Rural Community, with the inscription [translated] " We are from the same village"



The tab translated continues from the stamp:

'And on Friday nights,
When the silent wind,
Moves the Black tree tops,
Then I remember you.'

Londonbus1

It is now May and we are approaching Memorial Day here in the US. Let's hope that the level of remembrance here in the US reaches the level shown by Israel.

Rohumpy,

What kind of ceremonies take place. Would you liken them to the one we had here or are the commemorated individually ?

I'd like to see some pics to compare if there are any around.

This thread has been inactive for a couple of weeks. Although not related to stamps, to reply to Londonbus1's question about US ceremonies taking place for Memorial Day in the US this weekend, this photo essay may be of interest:

http://www.wtop.com/?nid=863&sid=2401998

We should also link this Memorial Day thread to the one recently created under US stamp issues:

https://goscf.com/t/15627