World War One ended 94 years ago. There are no longer any living Canadian WWI veterans. No one left to tell their stories. To remind us, to give a face and humanity to such a catastrophic event.
World War Two ended 67 years ago. We still have veterans from this war in Canada. They still come out to ceremonies every year and watch the proceedings with more sadness in their eyes than anyone should ever have to know.
WWI saw just under 65,000 Canadians killed and WWII saw just over 45,000 killed. That's almost the entire population of PEI killed in just over 30 years.
Why?
The easy answer is freedom. Canada went to war to help our allies in Europe ensure that everyone would be free. We'd all get to have freedom of religion, speech, association. The ability to go to school, have careers, have hopes, dreams and futures.
When you stop to think about what these people sacrificed for us, a simple "Thank You" really doesn't seem like it's enough. And that is why we remember. As the wars slip further and further into the past, it becomes even more important for us to remember what happened and why and to thankful and grateful to all of those who fought to keep our countries safe and to give us the freedoms that we have today. We've lost soldiers more recently in Korea, Iraq and Afghanistan too, though the reasons for our involvement in those wars seems a little more hazy. But they all have one thing in common: freedom. Keeping it, and making sure that others get it.
My great grandfather fought in WWI. He was in France for almost a year before taking some shrapnel to the head and being send to a military hospital and then sent home. My grandfather fought in the Navy in WWII and mainly served on the HMCS Swift Current.
I never knew my great grandfather and unfortunately, my grandfather died before I was old enough to understand what war is. How I would have loved to have heard his stories. I would have liked to have written them down and kept them for future generations to read.
The Canadian government is doing a great job of keeping the stories alive. They have wonderful records and they're making more and more of them available online. I was able to order my great-grandfather's military record and thanks to the government's online war diaries, I can track his troop movements across France and read about the missions and day to day operations. One day I'd actually like to go to France and see those places that he fought in and for. And see the Vimy Memorial. I'd also like to see our memorial in Belgium. My great uncle Doug's uncle's name is on that memorial. He was lost during the fighting and never found. Which means he never came home. But his name is there so that people don't forget him and don't forget the others just like him. Lost, but not forgotten.
To honour all of those who fought and died, or were wounded or were just never the same again because of what they saw/experienced, we can remember. After all, if we don't respect history, we're doomed to repeat it.
Good Night.
Sarah
National War Memorial
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
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