Remembrance Day has always been important to me, but if I’m honest, I didn’t really understand what it truly represents. It is safe to say that this has all changed now.
For a non-veteran, to march in the Cenotaph Parade in London was something I should never have been able to do, but it was one of the most emotional and inspirational experiences of my life. I was asked to create content for the Cenotaph trip so others could see what it means to our veterans, unaware of the profound impact it would have on me personally. To be able to offer help and support to a group of blind veterans on one of the most important trips of their lives was both inspiring and humbling.
The emotions leading up to the weekend were mixed, as on the one hand I was so proud to help and support our Sight Scotland Veterans and to be able to mark the occasion by sharing their feelings and experiences. But on the other hand I felt like a phony, thinking I have no right to be marching alongside all these inspirational people who quite literally put their lives on the line to protect our freedoms.
As soon as we met up with the veterans in London you could sense the excitement, the camaraderie and respect. They may have just spent over 10 hours on a bus, but there was no complaining (apart from the staff), as they gathered in the hotel bar to share stories and laughter well into the night. Some of the veterans knew each other, some had never met before, but it was a joy to behold seeing them all coming together like old friends. Myself, and my sidekick Mauro, were immediately welcomed into the group and it wasn’t long before the shouts of ‘not another bloody photo’ or ‘how many videos do you need’ were heard ringing around the hotel.
Remembrance Sunday was an early rise, with the representatives from marketing the last to get on the bus. We were met with a loud cheer and a round of applause. All the veterans were dressed immaculately, each proudly representing their different regiments. There was a different feeling on the bus as we drove through London that morning, and you could tell that emotions were already running high as our veterans prepared to honour the fallen and march with fellow comrades.
The fact I was walking alongside blind and partially sighted veterans, who had been through so much in both their professional and personal lives, made the experience just so much more powerful with every step representing a message of resilience, courage, and commitment.
As we gathered in Horse Guards Parade the air was full of nervous tension and anticipation. It almost felt uncomfortable and rude to ask our veterans for photographs and interviews to mark the occasion, but I need not have worried. Every one of them was delighted to help and tell us about how proud and emotional they were to be at the Cenotaph, and how special it was to march alongside the friends they have made at Sight Scotland Veterans.
David Martin, who was a Lance Corporal in the Army, summed it up by saying: “This is such a life-changing experience. Think about it, would we ever have been able to go and show our respects to the fallen dead at the Cenotaph in London if we were not part of this fantastic charity, no. This is a life changing experience for everyone who is taking part.”
We then began moving from Horse Guards Parade to Whitehall where we were put in position to take part in the march. Despite the long wait, and rain, our veterans remained in high spirits as they took in the atmosphere. It was here where one of our veterans, Tommy, somehow met up with two old army friends he hadn’t seen in years and wiping away the tears of happiness he declared ‘what are the chances of seeing them out of 10, 000 people, it’s just unbelievable’. John Reilly, our Senior Centre Officer at the Hawkhead Centre, who is also a veteran, then spotted and an old army friend who he had seen once in forty years, again full of emotion and amazement he relayed ‘what are the chances, what are the chances.’
When the march began the atmosphere was charged with dignity and pride as each step taken marked a tribute to the sacrifices made. The fact I was walking alongside blind and partially sighted veterans, who had been through so much in both their professional and personal lives, made the experience just so much more powerful with every step representing a message of resilience, courage, and commitment. They did not feel sorry for themselves, they did not see vision loss as a barrier, they were marching with fellow comrades to honour those who made the ultimate sacrifice, and the pride was bursting out of them.
I went to London to create content so others could see the importance of Remembrance Day and what marching in the Cenotaph meant to our veterans. Little did I realise the personal impact it would have on myself, serving as an education about the significance of Remembrance Day through conversations, shared laughter, tears, and the formation of new friendships. I feel honoured to have shared this experience with our inspirational veterans, and the Sight Scotland Veterans staff.
So Remembrance Day is about respect, and honouring our veterans who are gone and still here, but it is also about education. As many of my veteran friends told me throughout the weekend, ‘we need to get the message across to the youngsters, we need to get them to remember what has happened in the past, what people had to give up, so they don’t repeat our mistakes’.
#LestWeForget
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