Ladies and gentlemen, a very bright and sunny good morning to you here in London.
My name's Wing Commander Owen and I'll be trying to keep events going today.
First of all i'd like to call on the chair of the
assembly Andrew Boff to say a few opening remarks.
Good morning ladies and gentlemen and welcome to City Hall for this very special day.
Armed forces day, provides us with the opportunity
to show our support for those who serve, and those who have served in previous
generations. The London Assembly has a long recognized the values serving personnel
and veterans and military families contribute to our city and our communities. The
assembly continues to honor the armed forces covenant, and to support the armed forces
community. the London Assembly is the voice of london and as its chair i can ensure you that we
will continue to give the voice to those Londoners
across this city who continue to be indebted to those who risk their lives and the veterans
whose service we will never forget and always honor. This will be the 13th year that we have
raised the flag for our armed forces ahead of armed forces day.
As a sign of support and respect for all those who serve. And I'm pleased
that senior representatives of the royal navy army and Royal Air Force based in London
have been able to join us for this occasion. I'm also delighted that the cadets are here as a
shining example of how the service family works alongside civil society for the benefit of
both. I'm also happy to welcome attendees from the Royal Woolwich Squadron, The Royal
Air Force the Royal Air Force Cadets, the University of London Air Squadron
Cadet Officers , London-based reserve units and representatives of the Royal British Legion
City hall branch. Over the last decade there have
been too many days when we have been reminded of the sacrifice that our armed forces make
on our behalf. Not just in what might may seem like the dim and distant past. But in
the here and the now. Around the world today our armed forces are promoting peace and security
fighting terrorism and delivering aid and closer home during the pandemic we have
relied on their skills and specialist knowledge to help us through some very difficult times.
We will always be grateful for their work and dedication to keeping us and others safe and
so today we recognize that it is our duty as we sleep safely in our beds to remember not
only those who have lost their lives in conflicts
past but also those who serve and sacrifice today.
It is my deep privilege to be standing alongside members of our armed forces
with their friends and their family and with veterans whose service we
will never forget and always honour let us remember.
We are celebrating the people who put it all on the line who without fear or favour
sacrifice themselves for us for duty for country and for
london they are the very best of what London stands for
they are the very best of what Britain stands for. We honor them and we salute them
Now i would like to hand over to Wing Commander Chris Owen thank you.
Thank you very much for those welcoming remarks our first speaker to recite the poem of the day
is from the air training corps cadet Karolina Luckaite
good morning sirs and madams. Today i'll be reading a poem called it's time to help
Sammy Chester. Have you ever asked why the singing bird sings why people help people
without gaining a thing. What makes them selfish and others of us not. What caused the lucky
to donate that lot whether it's blankets for the homeless or money for the poor it's always
quite helpful just a little or even more there are other ways to help besides having to give
you can volunteer or help to clean where they live. Just listen to their problems
help them stay afloat and maybe just maybe this will give them some hope thank you.
Thank you very much i'd urge all people now to turn and face the flag for the flag raising.
And i'd like to introduce the mayor of london Mr Sadiq Khan.
Good morning everyone. I'll begin by thanking Wing commander Chris Owen, for his many years
service to our country in particular/ i always want
to thank Air Vice Marshall Simon Edwards, Commodore
Robert Bellfield and Lieutenant Colonel David Atten not only for your
decades of combined service but for representing the Royal
Air Force the Royal Navy and British Army at this important ceremony it's always an
honour to spend time in the company of our men and women in uniform as well as with
veterans service families and cadets i'm sorry that due to Covid restrictions
more members of our armed forces community couldn't be here today as usual to witness
the flag being raised. But while there may be fewer of us gathered here than normal
i know there are millions
of people in our city and across our country who are with us in spirit as we mark the
start of the week leading up to armed forces today.
This occasion always presents an opportunity for us to pay tribute to our service men and
service women
but in light of events of the last 16 months i believe it's more important than ever that we
express our unceasing gratitude for all they've done and continue to do.
Not everybody knows this but the armed forces response
to the pandemic has been the biggest ever
peacetime military operation
to be conducted on the homeland. Thousands of personnel have been involved in delivering
PPE to the front line, in constructing the nightingale hospitals in providing extra help
on the wards and supporting our ambulance services
not to mention in coordinating the vaccine rollout setting up and staffing mobile testing
centers fighting fake news about the virus online
and transporting storing and administering the all-important vaccines themselves.
It's truly been a monumental undertaking and once
again it's meant that we've seen our incredible armed forces going above and beyond in service
to our country protecting us from danger and saving lives just as generations of veterans
have done so before them in times of crisis we're fortunate because we know we can count
on our military to be there for us and to uphold the values and freedoms that we cherish
here in Britain that's why as Mayor of London I'm proud to have signed the armed
forces covenant and it's why i'm so
determined to always do right by you the contribution and
sacrifices you've made to safeguard our citizens
defend our democracy and deter our adversaries
mean that will forever be in your debt
here in london we'll always stand with you not just on armed forces day but the whole
year round because we recognise that members of our military selflessly put the safety of others
above their own what they do is the most noble and
patriotic of things and rather than taking it for
granted our city will always salute their courage
their commitment their skill and their remarkable sense of duty thank you
i'm now going to invite the assistant chief of the air staff Vice Marshal Edwards
to respond on behalf of the military community.
Mayor of London, members of the london assembly and distinguished guests
everybody thank you for inviting us here this morning and thank you
for making time when there is so much going on around us all for taking time this week
for the armed forces those who serve today those who have already
served and all who are part of our family it's a huge privilege to be here
with colleagues from across that family and to be
able to speak this year especially here in london
it's a time where we've come together supporting the nhs the national response
to the global pandemic and i'm proud just to know colleagues across the three services
who've played their part and who know that we are
proud of them and the role that they have played
and this week of course we show pride in them and in all our armed forces
regular reservists the civil servants who support
us and all those who are part of the armed forces
family that make it all tick, and there is much
to say but i think of those embarked on our aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth and those
who sail alongside her the most impressive sight
the most important mission a most important time. I think of those deployed all around the
world and busy at home and there are many from all services protecting our nation's interests ,
supporting our allies and i think of those who entirely protect our country and those allies
those who keep the watch but at home overseas over land over skies over space,
over cyber space. I know that they do
so with pride we all do i feel it and all those veterans who have
served on those with me today
and those will in fact they already do the next generation who are out there.
Those who will serve in ways we have not yet even thought
of in a world that is changing in armed forces that are changing but with an indelible hallmark
of excellence and an unbreakable sense of pride .
The sense of pride that is magnified when it is celebrated as it is today and throughout this
week thank you for being a part of that and thank you for letting us be a part of today.