Loulé evoked “The Day Europe Breathed a Breath of Relief” and celebrated the 106th anniversary of the signing of the Armistice of Compiègne, ending World War I.
Last Monday marked the 106th anniversary of the signing of the Armistice of Compiègne, which ended World War I. The municipality of Loulé once again joined the celebrations, paying tribute to the Loulé soldiers who fell in this conflict, as well as in the African campaigns.
After laying two wreaths of flowers next to the facade of the Town Hall, where the tombstones bearing the names of soldiers from the municipality of Loulé who participated in these conflicts are located, and the decoration of two combatants in Angola, it was time for a few words to remember this historic moment in which Europe, "tired and worn out from four long years of a bloody and destructive war, breathed a sigh of relief."
On November 11, 1918, "the guns fell silent," although the final agreement only came in 1919. Millions of people died in this conflict. Portugal sent more than 100,000 men, of whom 8,000 lost their lives in the trenches of Flanders or on the battlefields of Africa.
"Those were very dark years, in which many of our fellow countrymen were driven into the desolation and suffering of a terrible war. These young men, torn from the arms of their families, came from various parts of our municipality. Today, 106 years later, it is up to us to remember and honor the combatants, these Loulé residents (fathers, sons, grandchildren, brothers) who, in the service of Portugal, fell on the battlefield," said Vítor Aleixo, Mayor of Loulé.
Evoking this past is also "a wake-up call to the horrors of war and a call for peace," especially at a time when terrible conflicts are unfolding in various parts of the world. "The past teaches us how to build the present and plan for the future. There are many lessons to be learned from the history of humanity. However, we live in a world that claims to be modern and evolved, but which seems to have learned nothing from the mistakes of the past. It is necessary to alleviate the suffering of people—of children, of the elderly, of all those who find themselves trapped by war in their daily lives," emphasized Vítor Aleixo. For society to be "more just, peaceful, and humane," it is necessary to "repudiate nationalism, militarism, prejudice, xenophobia, radicalism, fundamentalism, and, of course, all forms of social exclusion," the mayor noted.
The representative of the Loulé Nucleus of the Combatants' League, Sergeant-Major Leal, highlighted the institution's work in promoting values and fighting for the dignity of living combatants and the honor of those who fell.
"Let us continue to fight for the values we believe in, to promote history, to preserve memories, and to seek support that guarantees combatants and their families the recognition and solidarity they are entitled to, in light of human rights and the services they have rendered," the soldier stated.
