Saturday, November 11, 2006
This week I read a disappointing statistic about Canadian youth and their knowledge of Canada's WWI and II heroes. I don't have it for you, or I'd post it, but I can't seem to find the story on cbc.ca. Suffice it to say, a buncha youth though that General MacArthur was a Canadian general, but didn't know who Billy Bishop was. The people at the Dominion Institute have set up an online petition to try and convince the government that the last veteran of WWI to die should be given a state funeral (if his family wishes it), as a way to honour all of the WWI war dead. There are three remaining WWI veterans alive, all over the age of 100. That means, that in all likelihood before the end of the decade, Canada will no longer have a living connection to The Great War. If you'd like to sign it, click on this.
Another thing that the Dominion Institute has done is establish The Memory Project Digital Archive. This is an incredible site, filled with personal stories told by the veterans, newspaper clippings, pictures and other paraphernalia. Head on over there (just click on the link there) and spend some time listening, and looking at the incredible trove of memories. No one in my family served in the army during either WWI or WWII to the best of my knowledge. On my mom's side they probably would have been conscientious objectors, due to their religion. My dad's side I'm not sure about, but they were Quebeckers and probably farmers. Or perhaps there was just no one of suitable age. I'm not really sure, but that's something that I've resolved to find out.
CBC.ca also has a great in-depth feature on Remembrance Day, right here. That wonderful pictures is from wikipedia.org.
In Flanders Fields
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders Fields.Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.- John McCrae, 1915
I'm glad you did a post on Remembrance Day. I would be pretty shocked if I heard that the Canadian youth didn't know too much about WWI and II heroes. I say this because every year we always have a Remembrance Day ceremony at our school. Several veterans always visit and share their stories. One guy, I remember from way back, got his chin shot off. Another story that I remember was a man telling about the horrors of the war. He broke down and cried several times. It was just...I can't even explain how I felt.
Went to remebrance day service here in Kelowna downtown. First service been to since highschool. Dude, played a good song. Australian wrote it, forget what it's called. France green fields, something like that. They're should be a state funeral for WW1 veteran. Agree. My Grandpa servied in traing troops in Shalo and was going to be a medic. War just ended our else he would have been set out. He didn't really have to serve because he was a mennonite but he did. They decided best thing was to have him at Shalo training troops.
take care
jp
I signed the petition...and passed it on....
Leave your response