We shall remember as we should every year on this day (and other days too) of the Things done by Others to protect us and our freedoms. Remembrance Day in Canada is a solemn but important day.
I have the privilege to work with many veterans at my job, and it is always astounding to talk to them about the things they did and the abject humility it is told to you (when you can get them to tell you about their tours of duty). Don’t get me wrong, plenty of stories of the fun times with comrades in arms. However, they rarely, if ever, will talk of the work done.
Our veterans from Afghanistan have seen things and lived through a different war. We must remember them, as well as all our veterans.
I worry that this government and future ones are not doing enough for our veterans. Talk to your Member of Parliament about the treatment of our Veterans. The term “Homeless Veteran” should not exist here in Canada, we should take care of our own.
Thanks to Veterans Affairs for this picture and the vignette at the end of this post.
We shall Remember
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.
Remembrance Days Gone by
- We Shall Remember, Paradise Papers, Tax Cheats and #MoneyTalk #FLM2017 is from 2017, with a photo of the War Memorial in Ottawa.
- We Shall Remember 2013 remembers more of my family’s experiences.
- Remembrance Day 2012 includes the poem by John McRae, In Flanders Fields.
- Remembrance Day 2011 included a video of veterans talking about their service.
- We Shall Remember 2010 with talk of the App for Remembrance Day (yes there was one).
- We Must Remember 2009
- Lest We Forget 2008 was when I first started writing about Remembrance Day
Very sensitive. We should appreciate the men who served the country during their times for they were the foundation of whatever freedom we are enjoying now.
As a retired military member, I thank you for remembering the ones who did their duty for our country, and those still serving.
I did not serve overseas, so I hardly feel the term veteran applies to me. I served for 18.5 years in our military, and I have my issues, but saw nothing of the things some of my serving and retired friends saw in the other countries that they went to. Standing up to oppression, building schools and hospitals, standing between two warring countries on the brink of full on attacks, our people do it all.
You hear about the occasional bad apple, but what you don’t hear about are the ones who quietly do their duty, away from their families for months at a time on our ships or our army units. Think of them when you pray, and when life is sucking hard core, think of just how good we have it here compared to them.
We have life pretty damned good here in Canada, and they are the reason that we do.
Remember them not just on the 11th of November, but every day!
Thank you.