D-Day Veteran: Winning WWII Wasn't Worth It

Asked what Remembrance Sunday meant to him, he said: “My message is, I can see in my mind’s eye those rows and rows of white stones and all the hundreds of my friends who gave their lives, for what? The country of today?

“No, I’m sorry, but the sacrifice wasn’t worth the result of what it is now.”

'What we fought for was our freedom, even now [the country] is worse than it was when I fought for it,' says 100-year-old World War II Veteran Alec Penstone. pic.twitter.com/M9HSsS5sIW

— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) November 7, 2025

Asked by host Adil Ray what he meant by his comment, the veteran, who described himself as “just one of the lucky ones” for surviving the war, said: “What we fought for was our freedom, but now it’s a darn sight worse than when I fought for it.”

After Mr Penstone explained what he meant about the UK, presenter Kate Garraway consoled the veteran.

She said: “Oh Alec, I’m sorry you feel like that and I want you to know that all the generations that have come since, including me and my children, are so grateful for your bravery and all the other service personnel.

“It’s our job now to make it the country that you fought for, and we will do.”

Mr Penstone replied: “It’s so wonderful to know there are people like you who spread the word around to the younger generations.”