ONLY 3 REMAIN.
3 OLD SOLDIERS.
OUR LAST LIVING CONNECTIONS TO THE GREAT WAR.
3 CANADIAN VETERANS OF WORLD WAR 1 ARE STILL ALIVE. BUT REALISTICALLY NOT FOR MUCH LONGER.
THEY ARE ALL WELL OVER A HUNDRED YEARS OLD.
THEY FOUGHT IN THE WAR TO END ALL WARS.
A WAR THAT CHANGED CANADA FOREVER. HISTORIANS TELL US OUR COUNTRY WAS BORN AT A PLACE CALLED VIMY RIDGE.
61 THOUSAND CANADIANS DIED IN THAT WAR. AN ALMOST UNTHINKABLE NUMBER. OUR COUNTRY WAS YOUNG AND SMALL.
YET WE EARNED OUR STRIPES , RESPECT AND OUR MEMBERSHIP IN THE WORLD COMMUNITY.
IT WAS AN IMPORTANT TIME FOR CANADA.
AND WE SHOULD HONOUR THE SACRIFICE MADE BY SO MANY.
THE DOMINION INSTITUTE IS PETITIONING THE HARPER GOVERNMENT TO COMMIT TO A FULL STATE FUNERAL FOR THE LAST OF WORLD WAR ONE VETS.
STATE FUNERALS ARE NORMALLY RESERVED FOR GOVERNORS GENERAL AND PRIME MINISTERS. BUT THIS WOULD BE A FITTING WAY TO HONOUR AN ENTIRE GENERATION.
YOU CAN FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THIS AT DOMINION.CA
ON THIS REMEMBRANCE DAY 2006, WE SHOULD ALSO PLEDGE TO THE KEEP OUR HISTORY ALIVE.
TO TEACH OUR CHILDREN AND THEIR CHILDREN TO NEVER TAKE OUR WHAT WE HAVE FOR GRANTED. OUR WAY OF LIVING, OUR FREEDOM WAS PAID FOR IN BLOOD IN FAR OFF PLACES WITH NAMES SUCH DIEPPE, PASSCHENDAELE.
SO MANY DIED ...SO MUCH SACRIFICE FOR OUR FREEDOM TODAY.
KING GEORGE VI SAID THIS AT THE DEDICATION OF THE NATIONAL WAR MEMORIAL IN OTTAWA IN 1939 "WITHOUT FREEDOM THERE CAN BE NO ENSURING PEACE, AND WITHOUT PEACE, NO ENDURING FREEDOM" THOSE WORDS STILL HOLD TRUE.
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
IT IS DISTURBING THAT OVER HALF OF YOUNG CANADIANS ARE UNAWARE OF LIEUTENANT- COLONEL JOHN MCCREA AND HIS TIMELESS MASTERPIECE.
WE MUST DO BETTER TO EDUCATE OUR CHILDREN AND SO THAT WE WILL ALWAYS HONOUR THOSE WHO WENT BEFORE US.

Always Remember !