Saint Lucia joined the international community in paying tribute to the men and women who fought in the First World War.

Six hundred and twenty-five Saint Lucians who fought in the First World War were honored yesterday, on the anniversary of the signing of the armistice that ended the World War I hostilities between the Allied Nations and Germany.

The Great War, as it is also known, officially ended on Nov. 11, 1918.

Governor-General, Her Excellency Dame Pearlette Louisy quoted French President Jacques Chirac, saying there is no future without remembrance.

“Over the years, this has been a real motivating factor behind the observance of Remembrance Day,” she said. “We are asked not to forget, lest in forgetting we commit the same errors that we have done before. So it is in this sense that we can say that there is no future without remembrance.”

Resident British High Commissioner, Andrew Price said war is often a failure of diplomacy. “Actually, today is also the anniversary of a failure of diplomacy when the Treaty of Versailles was signed. This led to the Second World War. We did not have just peace following the First World War.”

Alliance Française has mounted a public exhibition to honor the World War I veterans. The exhibition can be viewed throughout the month of November, on Mondays to Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and on Fridays from 9 a.m. to 12 noon.