WHY YOUR POPPY MAKES YOU AN ALLY

I always expected Remembrance Sunday 2020 to feel a little unusual. For the previous 23-years, as a serving RAF officer, Armistice Day usually required me to wear my Number 1 uniform and my medals, to attend a formal service or parade. In my first year as a veteran I was ready for a different experience but I had not imagined the change would be this stark.

For some people, observing Poppy Day may seem relatively trivial this November. Given the challenges of 2020, it is understandable that they must focus on life’s fundamentals. For others, it is easy to forget the day. Confined to our own homes, we are less likely to notice unseasonal blooms of red in church yards, to see other people wearing poppies in the street, or to find silver haired strangers clutching collection tins in railway stations. Absent the usual autumnal social nudges, why bother buying a paper flower, let alone wear it?

For veterans however, it is about more than just a day on the calendar. Although the lockdown may stifle most official events in the UK, there is little doubt that most veterans will mark the moment in some way. We still wear our poppies and we still remember. But why?

For anyone who has worn a uniform, standing silent for 2 minutes of the year is not about glorifying warfare; it is about respecting personal sacrifice. We don’t pin our medals on our chest to boast of victories past; we wear them to commemorate every citizen who has stepped forward to defend the interests of the United Kingdom and our allies.

Although Armistice Day was conceived in a time when many people were conscripted into military service, many of the soldiers in the Great War enlisted voluntarily. Within a month of the outbreak of that war, half a million people had ‘joined up. ’The ‘Pals Battalions’ of WWI were proud units of friends who wanted to serve together with their colleagues and neighbours. Whilst the early 20th Century continued to witness mandatory enrolment to the armed forces, since 1960 every person who has donned a uniform in the UK has done so of their own free will. Acknowledging the grim historic necessity of obligatory service, since the birth of Armistice Day the majority of our military personnel have been volunteers.

For everyone who has volunteered to serve at some point in their life, those two minutes of silence on Remembrance Sunday are a deeply personal moment in the year. Each of us reflects on a unique group of people – members of our exclusive network who are not with us today. We think about our forbearers, comrades, strangers and friends. We remember those we have lost though combat, accidents, illness or suicide. The nature of their demise is far less important to us than our pride of serving alongside them.

Having stepped out of the military ‘bubble’ last year, I was amazed to find that the depth of respect for those volunteers is infused through many organisations in the ‘outside’ world. It seems that everyone is proud of someone they know who serves, or has served, in the Armed Forces. Nowhere is this more true than at my new ‘unit’ - Salesforce.

Despite spending most of my first year on ‘civvy street’ working from home, on a weekly basis I am privileged to connect with new colleagues who are dedicated ‘allies’ to our thriving Vetforce community. Consistent with Salesforce’s altruistic culture, Vetforce is a thriving equality group that is dedicated to supporting veterans as they transition their careers, as well as educating civilian colleagues about the skills and standards that ex-Forces personnel can bring to the business world. This year, Salesforce joined a select group of businesses in the UK, through the award of the Armed Forces Covenant Gold award. The Vetforce UK team could not be prouder of this MOD recognition of how our employer supports veterans.

In the wider community, throughout this difficult year, the UK military continues to be a source of pride for us all. Our active duty personnel have played critical roles in supporting the NHS and essential services though unprecedented challenges. Meanwhile, our veteran community yielded the greatest personality of 2020 - Captain Sir Tom Moore’s determination to contribute to the nation, exemplified the volunteer mindset that is nurtured in military communities. It is such voluntary endeavour that generates such pride for anyone who has served.

Hence, whilst you might not see any parades in 2020, you can be sure that thousands of people will quietly mark the Armistice in their own way. We will remember those volunteers, past and present, of whom we are so proud. We understand that the challenges of 2020 might mean that some people miss the exact moment of the eleventh hour, of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. However, for everyone who remembers to wear a poppy, for whatever reason, your continued support does not go unnoticed. By volunteering to wear that small symbol, you prove that we veterans are surrounded by allies, even if the current situation means that we might feel isolated.

Thank you

#wewillremember #veterans #military #armistice #poppy #vetforce #armedforcescovenant #salesforce

(Andy Wright is a retired RAF fighter pilot and squadron commander. He is now a Strategic Account Executive at Salesforce EMEA - working in the Health and Life Sciences vertical. He is also the Vice Chair of the Vetforce UK Committee. The Vetforce mission is to foster Equality through recruitment, employment, training and mentorship of veterans and their families. If you would like to become a Vetforce ally, or if you know someone who might need Salesforce’s support to advance their career in the Private Sector – please reach out).

© All text belongs to - Andrew J Wright – Translating Service. The ideas and opinions expressed here are those of the author and are not endorsed by Salesforce.