A dwindling band of veterans from the Second World War will parade before the Cenotaph. Wreaths will be placed in memory of those who gave their lives so that we could live in peace and freedom.

These days, the wreaths also honour those who have died since 1945, not from bombs or torpedoes, but from more mundane causes; cancer, heart disease or plain old age.

The American broadcaster Tom Brokaw has written a book entitled "The Greatest Generation'' about those who served in the Second World War.

Having reached adulthood in the midst of the most severe economic depression of the 20th Century, millions of young men and women volunteered to serve and to risk their lives.

Those who survived went on to create a better world, which if it is far from perfect, is at the beginning of the 21st Century, more prosperous and more democratic than in any previous era in history.

This is as true in Bermuda as it is elsewhere. Young men and women of all races and backgrounds came together and fought around the world for ideals which we take for granted today.

Today, we get more and more of our sense of the Second World War from movies and books. Whether it is "Schindler's List'', "Patton'' or "Saving Private Ryan'', the images which come to mind are more likely to be celluloid than flesh and blood.

But tomorrow, at 11 a.m. on Front Street, the real people who fought to make the world safe from tyranny and dictatorship will stand, to honour their dead comrades and to be honoured. It is a small sacrifice to go there and pay homage to a generation whose legacy will outlast them; we all should be there.

KEEP READING EDT Keep reading From time to time, Premier Jennifer Smith has received a fair amount of criticism in this space. On certain issues, that will probably continue.

But she deserves a good deal of credit for making a personal commitment to improving literacy in the community.

She has launched a 12-month campaign to raise literacy standards and to encourage reading in the community and if some of the ideas -- the infamous attempt to get on the Oprah Winfrey Show for example -- seemed too much of a reach, so what? Reading should be encouraged in every way possible, whether it is through yesterday's "Drop Everything and Read Day'' or through the outstanding posters which are being distributed through the community once a month.

High standards of literacy make great careers possible, communication better and puts informed debate within reach. Reading opens worlds and creates opportunities for all.

Ms Smith should maintain this drive; Bermuda can only benefit as a result.