“Was it all worth it?”: 100-year-old war veteran reflects on Remembrance Sunday
World War Two veteran Mervyn Kersh shared his views on the significance of Remembrance Sunday and the lessons learned from history during an interview with LBC’s Henry Riley.
The importance of remembering
Mr. Kersh, who served in the Royal Army Ordnance Corps and will turn 101 soon, emphasized the value of remembrance traditions:
“I think it's very important. Because if you don't remember you're not alive. You learn nothing.... Not we learnt much anyway.”
Key lesson from history
Reflecting on the meaning behind Remembrance Day, he highlighted the necessity of strength in defense:
“The main lesson that I would teach is that bullies don't attack anyone who is stronger than them. Strong defence should be first.”
He criticized successive governments for failing to apply this lesson:
“And by 'we', I mean governments - the successive governments. As I say, the most important thing is to be strong. It should come before anything else. It should come before cheaper this, or freer that... the main thing is to have stronger defence than anyone else.”
Reflecting on 80 years since D-Day
Mr. Kersh shared his thoughts on the 80th anniversary of D-Day, underscoring the enduring significance of strength and preparedness decades after the conflict.
About Mervyn Kersh
- Served in the Royal Army Ordnance Corps during World War Two
- Approaching 101 years of age
- Advocate for the importance of remembering wartime sacrifices
Author’s summary: Mervyn Kersh, a centenarian WWII veteran, insists that strong defence is vital, warning that governments have failed to learn key lessons from war despite the significance of Remembrance Sunday.