Lest We Forget

"War, what is it good for? Absolutely nothin'!" That's the chorus from the 1969 song by Edwin Starr. While it was an anti-Vietnam song, it's still relevant. Wars are destructive. Wars are expensive. Wars take lives, tear families apart and have ever lasting effects. Which brings us today. Remembrance Day. People all across Canada (and the US) gather today to remember. And for the ever growing majority of Canadians, we're not sure what we're remembering.

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

Cheap Chicken and A Man In A Skirt

It was a very successful day out shopping with Stephanee. To start off, I had awesome hair today. While killing time this morning, I decided to break out the hot curlers and go to town. It was very fun "Saturday Hair". We managed to avoid getting into any real trouble. Steph did get a rather nasty look in the Dollarama from some lady after Steph laughed just a little too loud. And I found the perfect santa hat for myself there too.

We also discovered and awesome deal for lunch/dinner. There's a place called Scores, which it a chicken place (Like Swiss Chalet or St. Huebert) and it's got an all you can eat soup/salad bar. Well, as we discovered, when you order the 1/4 chicken dinner, not only does it come with a side, but it comes with the free salad bar. So for a grand total of $13.28 (with tax), we got a 1/4 chicken breast, fries, dipping sauce, a roll and all the soup/salad/fruit we wanted. We got our money's worth and both left with a take out container of chicken. Super awesome! And the waitress was great too. So all in all, it was a good call.

Moving on to Walmart...it was a mostly routine visit until...we were just making out way to the cash when some fun t-shirts caught our eyes. While we were looking at them, I looked up and saw a man walking by. He had grey hair, a really long beard (think ZZ Top) and was wearing a women's padded white spaghetti strap tank top and short cut denim skirt. It was a total "People of Walmart" moment. Wow. Really don't know what to say about that.

I managed to get a new light weight winter coat at 50% off. I love surprise Saturday sales. They rock.

Tomorrow Steph and I are at it again but it will be a much more somber and dignified day. Or at least the morning will be. We're heading downtown for the National Remembrance Day ceremonies. Then we're hitting a craft sale and Costco. I trip across the river to hunt down jeans for Steph might be in that mix too.

I hope that everyone takes a moment tomorrow to reflect on what living a free country truly means and to think about all those people who came before us. All those who fought bravely and proudly and some of whom made the greatest sacrifice of all - so that we could have that freedom. And please don't forget the ones who continue to serve for our country. Lest We Forget.

Good Night!

Sarah

Hair - with the fun curlers in.

 

Finished product. Lots of curls!

 

The fun "Princess Santa Hat" that I found in the doller store.