Solomon Islands joined other Commonwealth nations in commemorating Remembrance Day — also known as Poppy Day — at the Cenotaph Memorial Garden in Honiara on Tuesday.
The solemn occasion is observed annually across Britain and Commonwealth countries to honour the men and women who served, suffered, and ultimately sacrificed in times of war and conflict.
Speaking at the ceremony, British High Commissioner to Solomon Islands, His Excellency Paul Turner, reflected on the significance of the day, noting that each year at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, “we pause to remember.”
He said the First World War ended when “the guns fell silent at 11am on 11 November 1918,” and that since then, the hour has become a powerful symbol of reflection, gratitude, and unity.
“We wear our red poppies not just as a symbol of remembrance but as a promise — a promise that we will not forget,” H.E. Turner said.
“The poppy story many of you will already know. Thousands upon thousands of poppies grew up in the battlefields of Flanders in Belgium in the months following World War One, blooming amongst the devastation and human carnage of that war. It became a symbol that even in the darkest of times, hope and resilience can endure.”
H.E. Turner acknowledged that while Britain often focuses on the wars fought in Europe, the battles in the Pacific are equally remembered.
“The poppies are for all our servicemen and women who died serving their countries — whether that was at sea in the Pacific, fighting in the Mediterranean, on the beaches of northern France, or in the jungles of Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands,” he said.
He paid tribute to those who never returned home, their families who waited in vain, and those who came back carrying the invisible wounds of war.
“Remembrance is not only about the past — it’s about the present and the future,” he added.
“Today we honour those who serve in our armed forces, in peacekeeping missions, humanitarian aid missions, and in the defence of freedom. Their courage and commitment are part of the values we cherish.”
H.E. Turner also used the occasion to call for compassion and unity in a world increasingly threatened by conflict and instability.
“Remembrance Day is a call to live our lives with compassion and to stand against injustice and aggression.
In a world where the doctrine of ‘might is right’ gains more and more currency, and where multilateral institutions are perhaps at their weakest since 1945, we should remind ourselves of the battles our forefathers fought and the horrors they endured in defeating fascism.”
He concluded with a line from British poet Rudyard Kipling:
“All we have of freedom and all we love and know, this our fathers fought for many years ago.”
Among those attending the service were Acting Governor General Patterson Oti, Chief Justice Sir Albert Palmer, Japan’s Ambassador H.E. Keiichi Hagiuchi, New Zealand High Commissioner Jonathan Curry, Australia’s Acting High Commissioner Andrew Schoeffel, U.S. Chargé d’Affaires P. Daniel O’Hara, Attorney General John Muria Jr, Member of Parliament for East Are Are and Patron of the Solomon Scouts and Coastwatchers Peter Kenilorea Jr, Chief Commissioner of the Solomon Islands Scouts Association Joe Billy Oge, and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Police, National Security and Correctional Services Karen Galokale.
By EDDIE OSIFELO
Solomon Star, Honiara
