As we approach the Remembrance period and commemorate the contributions of our British and Commonwealth military and civilian service men and women, we ask ourselves what Remembrance Day means to us?
We at Hugh James specialise in representing service personnel and Veterans. Our team often reflect on the personal memories of our clients and their first hand experiences that they have shared with us. Remembrance Day is not only historic, but it is personal for many of those that we represent.
Whilst historically and collectively we remember those who served during World War I and II, we also remember those who have passed and sacrificed their lives since and continue to do so for our country.
Remembrance Day for us at Hugh James is about reflecting on the sacrifices and bravery that many of our clients have endured. A common theme for many of our clients is that they have sacrificed their health and mobility in the line of duty. We reflect on the sad and heroic memories that they have shared with us and their feelings of pride, sadness, guilt, respect, and hope.
Whilst there are great challenges and sadness surrounding Remembrance Day, we join the country in remembering and celebrating the great work of the Armed Forces community. We are very proud to continue to sponsor the Welsh, English and Scottish Veteran Awards. These awards celebrate the service and post service achievements and contributions of Veterans and service men and women. We are in admiration of the contribution that the military community make and continue to make to our society whilst serving and in later civilian life.
Our military team recently held our annual Hugh James Military Conference. This year the conference focused on the current issues affecting Veterans and Armed Forces Personnel and attendees included military support groups and charities. We were joined by guest speaker Johnny Mercer, Conservative politician, and former British Army Officer. He discussed the current approach to mental health and left us with the question “what does it feel like to serve, to be a member of the armed forces and to be a Veteran.” This resonates and reminds us that whilst we, as civilians, will not understand the positive or negative impact that service can have on the lives of service men and women, we can understand the vital role that specialist military mental health charities and support groups play.
Another speaker from the conference, Brian Wood MC is remarkably running a minimum of 26 miles per day for 25 days throughout the month of November to pay tribute and remember the 635 fallen from the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts. Brian is aiming to raise £20,000 for Walking with the Wounded and we wish him the best of luck. Walking with the Wounded and ABF The Soldiers’ Charity are service charities that we work closely with and admire them for their continued support to the wider armed forces community and our clients who have been wounded, injured, or suffering because of their service. We will continue to remember and celebrate their hard work and commitment to the military community.
We are grateful to those past and present who have served to protect us. We take this opportunity to reflect on all those who have sacrificed their lives for the safety and security of our country. It is important more than ever that we continue to recognise the essential role of our Armed Forces and remember those who have served and continue to serve, and those who have made the ultimate sacrifice.
So, what does Remembrance Day means to us? Remembering those who have sacrificed so much by serving our country but also listening to those who have memories they want to share.
We are filled with pride and are honoured to be representing and supporting the legal needs of those from the military community. Each member of our team has their own remembrance reflection, inspired by the experiences of those we represent who have served or serve in the Armed forces. To continue with reflecting on those memories of our clients, on Remembrance Sunday we will be quoting what Remembrance Sunday means to them.
Join us and see what remembrance means to those that we represent.
Article: Nia-Wyn Evans, Associate at Hugh James
