Time stood still briefly at St. Ignatius Catholic School on Thursday as students and teachers marked Remembrance Day.
Standing in silence as Keith Millar played the ‘Last Post’ on the bugle, those in attendance at the solemn ceremony paid respect to fallen soldiers and those serving on battlefields around the world.
“We have to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifices for us so that they could create a world full of freedom, love and peace. Here, we join together as a community so that we can pray for them (veterans) and hope that our future will also be the same,” said student Samruddhi Tagalpallewar.
Every year, the Walkers Road school pays homage to veterans and those in service and Thursday was no different. The ceremony began with two minutes of silence followed by a hymn performed by the school’s concert band.
Poems and prayers were read by students and teachers. Head prefect Justine Rhule read the famous war poem ‘In Flanders Fields’ in honour of those who gave their lives in World War I. It was written by Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae.
“As head girl, it was my responsibility to come out and show my support for my school and for them (veterans). Because, without them, we definitely would not have the free life that we have today,” Rhule told the Cayman Compass.
During the ceremony, Girl Guides members Darci Magennis and Brooke Bodden laid a poppy wreath at the school’s fountain.
Cayman Islands Veterans Association members were also on hand for the ceremony, including Shadden McLaughlin who said she was pleased to see the reverence and the honour from the students as they marked Remembrance Day.
“Our children need to understand that the freedoms [they have] are not free and by doing services like this, I must say special thanks to St. Ignatius for honouring us like this, it helps us to bring the youth in,” she said. “To have a better understanding of why our long weekend exists in the Cayman Islands. What is Remembrance Day about? It is about remembering those who have fallen.”
McLaughlin urged the public to remember all the Caymanians serving in active duty around the world who continue to defend freedom.
Remembrance Sunday will be held on 10 Nov. and marked with a ceremony at the Cenotaph outside Elmslie Memorial United Church in George Town.
The Cayman Brac ceremony will run simultaneously at the War Memorial Cenotaph (Administration Lawn) in Stake Bay.
The events start precisely at 10:45am. Attendees and participants are asked to be assembled and seated by 10:30am.
CaymanCompass.com: By Reshma Ragoonath