5 Ignore the Call of Duty
Unless it’s a game in Gearbox Software’s Brothers in Arms series, which accurately depicts the lives of soldiers in the Second World War, give the first-person shooters a break for a day. Games in the Call of Duty or Medal of Honor series don’t honour the fallen. These games exploit their memory, making history into a medium where 10-year-olds can verbally harass other people online while scoring points for headshots.
4 Read war poetry
WWI and WWII produced some remarkable poets, such as Wilfred Owen, Siegfried Sassoon, and Keith Douglas. Examine their verses, and understand the beauty found in ugliness, the stoic virtues of a lost generation, and the profound ability that words have to empower the human spirit in times of war.
3 Watch The Thin Red Line
Many war films glamorize combat, portray violence as heroic, and ultimately show the triumph of the human spirit against impossible odds. Few films about war are as thought-provoking and contemplative as Terrence Malick’s The Thin Red Line.
2 Wear a poppy
A few years ago, the poppy’s center was changed from green to black – making it even more fashion-friendly. Wear a poppy to remember the fallen, but also because it makes for a great accessory on a fall coat.
1 Observe the silence
Every year at 11/11/11 you’re expected to pay your respects by maintaining two minutes of silence – a symbol of the Armistice declared at the end of the Second World War. Put down your game controller, turn off your TV, or take your headphones out of your ears and listen to the sounds of silence.
