I'm not sure exactly what we are remembering, and I'm not sure all the instincts behind it can be trusted.
My Dad actually fought, was decorated, and suffered terrible personal loss, in WWII. He would never go to a remembrance service.
There are a lot of threads come together at these events - pride (unsure about that), gratitude (more certain about that), nationalism (highly uncertain about that), sadness (sure), military camaraderie (dubious), moral certainty (very, very dodgy), unreliable nostalgia (dodgy), the assumption that the military fallen are the only fallen (downright untrue), grief (understandable), maybe even a hint of glorifying military strength regardless of the cause (extremely dubious). Maybe, too, echoes of a national status in the world that is obsolete and we would do well to treat with more realistic eyes in our future.
In short, a lot going on. Not all of it unquestionably desirable.
The day I'll trust it more is the day when German representatives, Japanese representatives, representatives from our enemies are included to mourn their own losses at the same event.
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