REMEMBER
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.
This poem was written by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae during the “war to end all wars”, World War I. Over 60,000 Canadians died during this war, one out of every eleven Canadians who served. The poppy has become a symbol for veterans ever since.
Then came World War II. My father, like perhaps many of your parents or grandparents, fought in World War II. Almost 47,000 Canadians died in this war. Without their courage and sacrifice there might not have been a Canada to fight for today.
World War II was followed by the Korean conflict, in which 516 Canadians died. 121 Canadians have died in Peacekeeping missions, and 152 have died in Afghanistan, so far.
Were their deaths in vain? Regardless of the specific issues in each war, they were fighting and dying, so that the world can be free from oppression and tyranny. We may not agree with our involvement in some of their missions, but we must recognize and honour what they were fighting for, and are still fighting for.
On November 11th, we wear the poppy to show our support for our veterans and to honour their sacrifice. But is it enough? Do our children and grandchildren really understand why this day is so important? Make sure your children know. If you visit Ottawa, take them to the Canadian War Museum, which by the way I think should be renamed the Remembrance Museum. Take part in Remembrance Day events in your community. Talk to a veteran. Thank them. Let them know we will not forget.
Does our government really appreciate what these men and women have sacrificed for us? Our government no longer wants to give disabled veterans a pension. They want to give them a lump sum payment and then forget about them. For the most severely disabled, this would amount to approximately $276,000. $276,000 to compensate for a lifetime of lost income. Is this the right thing to do? My father received a partial pension. It did not completely compensate him for the horrors and injuries that he faced in WWII, but it made him feel as if his service was appreciated. Don’t all our veterans deserve the same?
There are no more veterans left from World War I. Less than 2% of veterans remain from World War II.
On November 11th, at 11 a.m. we will pause for two minutes to remember those veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice. Is two minutes enough? In the US, November 11th is Veterans Day - a federal holiday. An entire day to remember. Remembrance Day is a statutory holiday in all provinces except for Manitoba, Quebec, and Ontario. Shouldn’t we do the same as the US for the 107,789 Canadians who have sacrificed their lives so far, so that we can be free from tyranny, free to live as equals regardless of colour or religion or gender, free to voice our opinions without fear of oppression, free to live in a democratic society.
Nobody likes war and it’s easy to say we shouldn’t get involved in another country’s problems, or it doesn’t affect us - so why are we there? What if WE were born in that country? Would we not want someone to help us? To free us? Remember, all it takes for evil to survive, is for good men to do nothing and the price of peace is eternal vigilance.
Let us stand by the brave people who serve in our military. Let us show our appreciation for our wounded veterans with a pension, not a payoff. Let us remember those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for us, with a national holiday on November 11th.
As Laurence Binyon wrote in his poem to the fallen,
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.
Remember them.
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.
This poem was written by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae during the “war to end all wars”, World War I. Over 60,000 Canadians died during this war, one out of every eleven Canadians who served. The poppy has become a symbol for veterans ever since.
Then came World War II. My father, like perhaps many of your parents or grandparents, fought in World War II. Almost 47,000 Canadians died in this war. Without their courage and sacrifice there might not have been a Canada to fight for today.
World War II was followed by the Korean conflict, in which 516 Canadians died. 121 Canadians have died in Peacekeeping missions, and 152 have died in Afghanistan, so far.
Were their deaths in vain? Regardless of the specific issues in each war, they were fighting and dying, so that the world can be free from oppression and tyranny. We may not agree with our involvement in some of their missions, but we must recognize and honour what they were fighting for, and are still fighting for.
On November 11th, we wear the poppy to show our support for our veterans and to honour their sacrifice. But is it enough? Do our children and grandchildren really understand why this day is so important? Make sure your children know. If you visit Ottawa, take them to the Canadian War Museum, which by the way I think should be renamed the Remembrance Museum. Take part in Remembrance Day events in your community. Talk to a veteran. Thank them. Let them know we will not forget.
Does our government really appreciate what these men and women have sacrificed for us? Our government no longer wants to give disabled veterans a pension. They want to give them a lump sum payment and then forget about them. For the most severely disabled, this would amount to approximately $276,000. $276,000 to compensate for a lifetime of lost income. Is this the right thing to do? My father received a partial pension. It did not completely compensate him for the horrors and injuries that he faced in WWII, but it made him feel as if his service was appreciated. Don’t all our veterans deserve the same?
There are no more veterans left from World War I. Less than 2% of veterans remain from World War II.
On November 11th, at 11 a.m. we will pause for two minutes to remember those veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice. Is two minutes enough? In the US, November 11th is Veterans Day - a federal holiday. An entire day to remember. Remembrance Day is a statutory holiday in all provinces except for Manitoba, Quebec, and Ontario. Shouldn’t we do the same as the US for the 107,789 Canadians who have sacrificed their lives so far, so that we can be free from tyranny, free to live as equals regardless of colour or religion or gender, free to voice our opinions without fear of oppression, free to live in a democratic society.
Nobody likes war and it’s easy to say we shouldn’t get involved in another country’s problems, or it doesn’t affect us - so why are we there? What if WE were born in that country? Would we not want someone to help us? To free us? Remember, all it takes for evil to survive, is for good men to do nothing and the price of peace is eternal vigilance.
Let us stand by the brave people who serve in our military. Let us show our appreciation for our wounded veterans with a pension, not a payoff. Let us remember those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for us, with a national holiday on November 11th.
As Laurence Binyon wrote in his poem to the fallen,
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.
Remember them.
This work by Suzette Leeming is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Canada License.
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