THEY came in their thousands to remember the dead.
People from all walks of life, young and old, black and white, families and individuals, ex-servicemen and accountants, they were all there to pay a public, yet very private, tribute.
In simultaneous ceremonies across Coventry and Warwickshire, they gathered at war memorials to pray for those lost in past conflicts, and for those who might yet not make it home.
The deaths of four soldiers from the region in Afghanistan this year made each service more poignant and relevant than ever.
L/Cpl James Fullarton and Fsr Shaun Bush, both 24, from Coventry, Sgt Simon Valentine, 29, from Bedworth, and Fsr Louis Carter, 18, from Nuneaton, all of the 2nd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, were killed by Taliban bombs in August.
In Coventry, former tank driver Derrick Rex, who lost comrades in the Korean War 50 years ago, said he believed more could be done to protect today’s servicemen and women from roadside bombs in Afghanistan.
The 79-year-old, of Norton Hill Drive, Wyken, Coventry, who served with the 6th Royal Tank Regiment in Centurions and Comets, said: “We’re here to remember the people that we have lost in the different wars and different conflicts.
“It’s devastating to lose someone you’ve served alongside.
Article
