Was it all worth it? A 100-year-old war veteran shares his Remembrance Sunday reflections
World War Two veteran Mervyn Kersh, who served in the Royal Army Ordnance Corps, spoke to LBC's Henry Riley about the meaning of Remembrance Sunday and the lessons learned from war.
The value of remembrance
"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 on defence
Mr Kersh emphasized the importance of strength in defence as the primary lesson from history:
"The main lesson that I would teach is that bullies don't attack anyone who is stronger than them. Strong defence should be first."
Reflection on D-Day anniversary
Marking 80 years since D-Day, Mr Kersh expressed his views on government responsibility:
"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 be before cheaper this, or freer that... the main thing is to have stronger defence than anyone else."
About Mervyn Kersh
- Served in the Royal Army Ordnance Corps during World War Two
- Turning 101 years old in a few weeks
Summary: Veteran Mervyn Kersh stresses that true remembrance means learning to prioritize strong defence above all, warning that governments have failed to heed this vital lesson.