My Great Uncle
[updated 12:oo pm]: Did you go to a Remembrance Day Service? If not, why? What could possibly be your excuse for not going? Give me your best shot. I will tell you now that unless you were infirmed or deceased, you as a Canadian have no excuse for not attending! You have no excuse for not showing your respect for our fallen soldiers and those still battling for our freedom. Sorry, you do not have an excuse! It doesn't matter if it is drizzling, snowy, pouring rain, in the midst of a blizzard or so cold your toes freeze while standing at the ceremony.
This year is the 90th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge (April 9-14, 1917). At least four of my ancestors fought in WWI and two of them were at Vimy Ridge. I grew up in a home were all family members were involved in one way or another in the military. Just about every one of the male members and some of the female members of my biological family (different from home I grew up in) were in the military. My European ancestors were fighting wars from the time they landed in Quebec, my English ancestors under British rule and my native ancestors well before then. All these efforts have made Canada the country it is today. I know my family stories, how the wars affected our family and yet time over time again, our family has enlisted defending our country. Our chests have been inflated at the honours, deflated at picking up the pieces and our hearts have been broken at burying our dead. Men barely out of their teens, still babies themselves buried. They had no excuse but gave freely with their lives.
What possible reason could you have for not paying respect?
Good post for our heroes! i did go to a 2 and half hour parade honoring veterans yesterday and our church service today had a theme honoring those who served also. Those who served or had family members serving, stood and were recognized also.
ReplyDeletei have my byb sunday post up also -- it is about TIME. drop by and read it.
Hi Paulie! Thanks for your lovely compliment. I really liked your post on TIME.
ReplyDeleteHappy BYB Sunday!
This is a wonderful post. Remembrance Day, like Veterans' Day in the US, are important reminders for all of us, wherever we stand on our governments' military policies and actions.
ReplyDeleteI believe those who fought in the World Wars understood chivalry in a way that has gone quite out of fashion. I always knew my relatives to be loyal and steadfast people; I believe these virtues are in short supply these days.
God bless you and your family.