Armed Forces Memorial Day Celebration In Nigeria #187

A warm and happy new week to all the beautiful ladies of Hive! This week’s contest, organized by @elizabethbit, promises to be an interesting one. She might have a military background, or at least that's the impression I get. This reminds me of my own experience with military training at camp, which I will share later in this post.

In Nigeria, we also observe Memorial Day, known as Armed Forces Day. This day is dedicated to remembering the fallen heroes who fought and sacrificed their lives for the protection of our country. It can be a personal or statewide celebration. This important event takes place every year on the 15th of January, with Army, Navy, and Air force Personnel in attendance.

As for me, I occasionally visit the memorial venue where the event is organized to pay my respects to those who lost their lives securing our country, even during peacekeeping missions. The event features a series of marches and drum performances. It usually begins with the singing of the national anthem.
Not everyone is allowed into the venue. I remember being permitted entry only when I wore my National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) uniform during my service year. At these events, you'll mainly find the families of those who lost relatives in military service. These families are recognized, and assistance is provided to them by the government.

On other days dedicated to the memorial, I make sure to listen closely to the radio broadcasts. These days are filled with moments of silence and remembrance, without much celebration, as we honor those we lost.
I once had training experiences similar to those of the armed forces during my youth service days.

Although it was a valuable experience, I carried it out rather sluggishly. Why do I say sluggish? Because we were expected to be awake by 4:30 AM to prepare for morning drills, standing for an hour in the morning cold.
Interestingly, I often found myself dozing off on the parade ground, especially if I had stayed up late the night before. It wasn't just me; some of the boys were particularly prone to this as they often spent their nights at the MAMI market.
The market, known as the MAMI market, is a place that resembles a real market where you can find almost anything you need, as we weren’t allowed to leave the camp venue.

In the military camp, the soldiers ensured we experienced everything they went through during their training days. Although no one was flogged, we had to do frog jumps for any offense committed. The most challenging part was the morning cold, where everyone was expected to march. This experience was quite similar to what the armed forces go through.
Today's contest reminded me of those days, so I will also celebrate myself every 15th of January.

Smiles!

Thank you for reading this entry. I am wishing everyone a breakthrough week.