Showing posts with label Remembrance Day. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Remembrance Day. Show all posts
Friday, November 11, 2016
Make Remembrance Day a National Holiday
By: Daniel Maillet, CAF Dispatch Author
Open Letter to:
The Government of Canada;
The Royal Canadian Legion;
Veterans Affairs;
and all Canadians.
The act of remembrance is not merely ceremonial. At its core, remembrance requires action. It carries the promise that we will learn from our past. By ensuring that we remember the past, we can help create a better and brighter future. So today, as we remember not only our fallen, we must remember all those who have served in the hope of creating a better world; one free of tyranny.
There is no better way for action to be taken than to make Remembrance Day a holiday according to the Federal Government.
I am a high school teacher who not only helps plan and participates in Remembrance Day activities in my school. I see first hand how students only partially listen to assemblies. The school calendar is already filled with a dozen or so mass gatherings, and more often or not students leave assemblies having missed the messages portrayed, and the same is true for Remembrance Day assemblies, and this is extremely sad.
As Geoffrey Johnson wrote in this week's Kingston Whig-Standard, "[i]n our fast-paced, technologically driven age, we have a world of knowledge available to us in our smartphones, tablets and computers. And yet many of us know little of Canada's proud military history and the sacrifices made by those Canadians in uniform who defended freedom and democracy." He continues saying, "it is impossible to do justice to the accomplishments of the Canadian military in a few paragraphs" and photographs.
This is clear proof that students attending an assembly in school, with a slide show presentation is not enough. Students should have the opportunity to go to their local cenotaph and stand with the few remaining World War Two veterans, and actually have an opportunity to engage with them. Many of these veterans are too old to visit schools, and Veteran's Affairs cannot accommodate every request to have a veteran present at a school. Students in 2016 have experienced an era where the Canadian military is highly engaged on the world stage; and this learning should not be confined to a classroom.
If you ask the Royal Canadian Legion, they disagree completely. Brade White, the dominion secretary of the Legion, believes school assemblies are enough, and that many teachers take their students to local cenotaphs. I disagree completely.
Perhaps White's statement is true in small school districts or rural schools, but in a large school, in an urban neighborhood, the logistics and requirements to take students off the school property are massive, and cause a majority of teachers to not even consider attempting it; especially because they know a school assembly will be held.
Tom Eagles, the Dominion President of the Royal Canadian Legion, takes it one set further with his comments made to the Globe and Mail this week; insinuating that if Remembrance Day were a holiday students would not learn about remembrance and the sacrifice made by Canadians.
This assessment is rubbish. I, as well as numerous other teachers, commemorate Veteran's Week (usually Nov. 5-11) with numerous announcements, activities, bulletin boards, and information. If Remembrance Day becomes a holiday, students could then take what they have been learning about the importance of remembrance and visit a cenotaph with their families; many that include serving members of our armed forces, and many extended family members who are Veterans themselves.
Eagles believes that the status quo is working as they are constantly "seeing increased numbers out to the cenotaph on November 11." In Ottawa, this is likely because the entire Federal Public Service is granted the day off; this is the same for all military contractors. Those who do not have the day off are likely taking unpaid time away from work to be with veterans and family.
In Canada, three territories and six provinces — Newfoundland & Labrador, New Brunswick, P.E.I., Saskatchewan, Alberta and B.C. — make Remembrance Day a statutory holiday. Nova Scotia and Manitoba have local regulations for business openings on the day. Ontario and Quebec have nothing.
As a teacher I honour Remembrance Day every year in my classroom and school; but where would I be if I had the day off? Definitely not relaxing as the Legion believes Canadians would do.
I would be spending time with those in my family who have served, including: a World War Two veteran, a Bosnian War veteran, an Afghan War veteran, and multiple other RCAF, RCN, and Canadian Army veterans. This time would be spent at either the National War Memorial or the Canadian Armed Forces Cemetery in Beachwood. This time could be spent learning more about their sacrifices, and the sacrifices of others. But, I am limited to a slide show of images students have already seen, and words they have already heard spoken.
Remembrance Day in school is repetitive and largely ceremonial. It lacks the action to ensure that Lest We Forget actually means that we will not forget. The living history of the First World War is gone, and the chapter on the Second World War is only a few years away from closing. By making Remembrance Day a holiday we can provide Canadians with the opportunity to keep this living history alive and engage with it; not just read about it. MP Colin Fraser's C-311 should be passed, and pushed down to the Provinces (especially Nova Scotia, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec).
Some of my greatest memories as a student on Remembrance Day are not those from the school assemblies, but those as a Royal Canadian Air Cadet. I missed school every remembrance day from 2004-2008 and participated in ceremonies (and often multiple ceremonies) around the city. Where I was able to stand on parade with Veterans, and thank them personally for the sacrifices they made for my freedom. Until I became a teacher, I had not missed a single ceremony since I was 13 years old, not even for rain, sleet, hail, snow, freezing rain, frigid sub-zero temperatures. Now work keeps me away.
Remembrance Day is sacred, and will always remain sacred. The Legion argues that no-one salutes Queen Victoria on Victoria Day, or that few remember the specifics of the 1872 labour dispute in Toronto that is credited with the creation of Labour Day. However, Canadians recognise that Victoria Day is the Queens birthday (although it's significance is in question as many want the name of the holiday changed); and the majority of Canadians understand that Labour Day is a day off from work; gained through the hard fought labour of our ancestors. Do the specifics of 1872 matter? Of course, but there are not ceremonies to mark the labour demonstration every year, nor are their ceremonies to mark Victoria Day. Remembrance Day stands out as a sombre day because the world comes together to remember the fallen, and those who still serve, and at 11AM the world goes quiet for 2 minutes to reflect. There is nothing else like it, and never will be.
Lest We Forget.
Sincerely,
Daniel Maillet
On November 11 - Take Time to Remember
By: Geoffrey Johnson, Kingston Whig-Standard
In our fast-paced, technologically driven age, we have a world of knowledge available to us in our smartphones, tablets and computers. And yet many of us know little of Canada's proud military history and the sacrifices made by those Canadians in uniform who defended freedom and democracy.
Remembrance Day is a time to remember and honour those sacrifices and to learn about the military campaigns that helped to shape Canada and sometimes even the world. Of course, it is impossible to do justice to the accomplishments of the Canadian military in a few paragraphs, but we can at least acknowledge some of the pivotal moments in our history.
First World War and the Battle at Vimy Ridge
"There is no question that Vimy Ridge was an unmitigated Canadian military success," University of Calgary military historian Prof. David J. Bercuson said in a telephone interview. "It was the first time that all four divisions of the Canadian Corps fought together to achieve an objective.
"It wasn't a war-winning battle," continued Bercuson, who leads the university's Centre for Military, Security and Strategic Studies. "We didn't change the course of the First World War by winning the Battle of Vimy Ridge. I think we more proved that we were becoming a capable fighting force as a result of the Battle of Vimy Ridge."
According to the Veterans Affairs Canada's website, 100,000 Canadians fought in the battle. There were approximately 11,000 Canadian casualties, of which nearly 3,600 were fatal.
"By the end of the First World War, Canada, a country of less than eight million citizens, would have more than 650,000 servicemen," notes the website. "The conflict took a huge toll with more than 66,000 Canadians losing their lives and 170,000 being wounded."
Canada was recognized by the United Kingdom "as being a major contributor" to the U.K.'s forces in Europe and was permitted to sign the Treaty of Versailles at the conclusion of the First World War, stated Bercuson. In addition, Canada's contribution to the war effort spurred London to enter into talks with Ottawa, which "eventually led to complete independent Dominion status for Canada in 1931."
Second World War and the Italian campaign
"Our importance to the British and the Americans in helping to win that war, led to their considering us a considerably important nation in the post-war period," Bercuson said of Canada's role in the Second World War. For example, Canada was included in the "very earliest discussions" that gave rise to the establishment of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in 1949.
Canadians distinguished themselves during the Italian operations, their first sustained ground campaign of the Second World War. In the summer of 1943, Canadian forces took part in the Allied capture of Sicily, before moving on to the Italian mainland.
"The Italian campaign was a very difficult campaign," said Bercuson, noting that the terrain was hilly and mountainous with many river valleys. Given the easily defendable terrain, the Germans "fought a defensive battle from the very beginning." In December 1943, after intense house-to-house combat, the Canadians captured Ortona, a key Adriatic port.
The Germans blew up bridges and tunnels and culverts, and dug in around those positions. And that made taking those positions "very difficult," Bercuson said. "So every time the Canadians come to another river, they've got to fan out; they've got to bridge the river; they've got to cross under enemy fire." As a result, Canadian forces "took a lot of casualties in the Italian campaign." More than 26,000 Canadians were wounded and nearly 6,000 died.
Historians argue about the importance of the Italian campaign. One thing is for certain, said Bercuson, the Canadian offensive "drew off a number of German divisions that would've fought on the eastern front or faced us in France when we invaded in June of 1944."
Liberation of the Netherlands
Canada played a big role in the liberation of the Netherlands, sacrificing more than 7,600 Canadian soldiers in combat, including the Battle of the Scheldt and house-to-house fighting. "I think the Scheldt estuary battle was probably the most important Canadian victory of the war," Bercuson declared.
"The Battle of the Scheldt was a military operation in northern Belgium and southwestern Netherlands that took place during the Second World War," states a Veterans Affairs Canada report, which is part of its online Remembrance Series. "On September 12, 1944, the First Canadian Army was given the task of clearing the Scheldt of German occupiers."
To put the importance of the Battle of the Scheldt in proper context, Bercuson compared it to the Vimy Ridge victory of the First World War. "It was far more important in comparison to Vimy Ridge, had a much greater impact on the outcome of the war in the west [of Europe] than did Vimy Ridge," he asserted.
The Scheldt estuary (tidal river) was the route to the strategic sea port of Antwerp, which was the second-largest port in northwest Europe at that time, explained Bercuson. After the D-Day Invasion in June 1944, the Allies advanced through Nazi-occupied France, Belgium and the Netherlands. "Access to this port was essential to supply the Allied armies as they continued their push towards Germany to defeat Adolf Hitler's forces and free Western Europe from four years of Nazi occupation which had begun in April 1940," notes the Veterans Affairs Canada document.
The British captured the port of Antwerp in September 1944. However, said Bercuson, the Germans controlled areas along the Scheldt, giving them plenty of room to wage a defensive campaign.
"The Germans had mined the river, and they had fortified both sides of the river," Bercuson continued. "So it was impossible for the Allies to get supplies up the river into the port of Antwerp. The job was given to the Canadian Army to liberate the approaches to the port of Antwerp. And it was a long and very costly battle."
The fighting along the Scheldt finally concluded near the end of November 1944, just two weeks before the Germans launched their largest counteroffensive of the Second World War in Belgium, called the Battle of the Bulge. Because the port of Antwerp had been liberated and the Scheldt had been secured, "the Allies are able to pour reinforcements of troops and materiel into Antwerp to help beat the Germans back," Bercuson said.
Battle of the Atlantic
The Battle of the Atlantic was "one of the most important battles in the war," stated Bercuson of the Allies' struggle to keep shipping lanes open between Great Britain and North America. Were it not for the supplies and fuel shipped from Canada and the United States, the United Kingdom would likely not have survived.
In addition, Bercuson said, the Allies needed to ship millions of soldiers and thousands of tanks and trucks and aircraft across the Atlantic in preparation for the invasion of Nazi-occupied Europe. "If the Germans were able to choke off the sea routes to the United Kingdom, it would have been very, very difficult for the Allies to win the war in the west," Bercuson said.
German U-boats or submarines mercilessly attacked merchant marine ships carrying supplies bound for the U.K., threatening to cut off the Brits lifeline to North America. "The Royal Canadian Navy played a significant role in keeping the sea lanes open by helping to escort convoys and by also helping to destroy U-boats," Bercuson said.
According to Veteran Affairs Canada, more than 1,600 Merchant Navy personnel from Canada and Newfoundland lost their lives in the Battle of the Atlantic. It is also important to remember the sacrifices of the brave men of both the Royal Canadian Navy and the Royal Canadian Air Force. "Most of the 2,000 RCN officers and men who died during the war were killed during the Battle of the Atlantic, as were 752 members of the RCAF," according to Veterans Affairs Canada.
Korea and Afghanistan
The Korean Conflict is often ignored by ordinary Canadians. "If the United Nations had not intervened with armed forces, including Canadians, to help South Korea fight off the invasion of North Korea, which occurred in June of 1950, if the North Koreans had conquered the Korean Peninsula, South Korea as we know it today wouldn't exist," Bercuson said.
After decades of development, South Korea has "become pretty well as free a society as anywhere on earth," he continued. "That never would have happened under Communist leadership."
Similarly, Canada tried to bring stability to Afghanistan. "I think people have to remember what our mission was in Kandahar Province," Bercuson said of Canada's role in the Afghan war launched after the jihadist strikes on the United States of Sept. 11, 2001. "Our primary mission was to take over from the United States under the auspices of NATO, to basically allow the Americans to shift more forces to Iraq."
Canada was largely successful in that mission. Bercuson pointed out that Canadian forces kept "most important parts of Kandahar Province free from the Taliban."
However, he acknowledged that we won't know for "a long time" how successful the Canadian and NATO mission has been in Afghanistan. After all, South Korea was a military dictatorship in the decades after the Korean Conflict, but it eventually evolved into a liberal democracy. "We can't really tell what the end result is going to be in Afghanistan at this stage of the game, because the war is still ongoing," Bercuson said.
Canadian contributions to the First World War, the Second World War, the Korean Conflict, and the Afghan campaign "weren't the largest by any means," Bercuson stated. "But I don't think that's important. The important thing is that those wars demanded that allied countries that share a common view of the world stepped up to the aggressor and said: 'You're not going to get away with this.'"
By fighting in those conflicts, said the history professor, Canada demonstrated that it was becoming a "mature and independent" nation. "As a mature and independent nation, as we are today, we have responsibilities that go beyond our own borders."
Does Bercuson have a message for Canadians about Remembrance Day?
"Yeah. Go to a ceremony."
Follow Geoffrey P. Johnston on Twitter @GeoffyPJohnston.
The Kingston Whig-Standard 2016 ©
In our fast-paced, technologically driven age, we have a world of knowledge available to us in our smartphones, tablets and computers. And yet many of us know little of Canada's proud military history and the sacrifices made by those Canadians in uniform who defended freedom and democracy.
Remembrance Day is a time to remember and honour those sacrifices and to learn about the military campaigns that helped to shape Canada and sometimes even the world. Of course, it is impossible to do justice to the accomplishments of the Canadian military in a few paragraphs, but we can at least acknowledge some of the pivotal moments in our history.
First World War and the Battle at Vimy Ridge
"There is no question that Vimy Ridge was an unmitigated Canadian military success," University of Calgary military historian Prof. David J. Bercuson said in a telephone interview. "It was the first time that all four divisions of the Canadian Corps fought together to achieve an objective.
"It wasn't a war-winning battle," continued Bercuson, who leads the university's Centre for Military, Security and Strategic Studies. "We didn't change the course of the First World War by winning the Battle of Vimy Ridge. I think we more proved that we were becoming a capable fighting force as a result of the Battle of Vimy Ridge."
According to the Veterans Affairs Canada's website, 100,000 Canadians fought in the battle. There were approximately 11,000 Canadian casualties, of which nearly 3,600 were fatal.
"By the end of the First World War, Canada, a country of less than eight million citizens, would have more than 650,000 servicemen," notes the website. "The conflict took a huge toll with more than 66,000 Canadians losing their lives and 170,000 being wounded."
Canada was recognized by the United Kingdom "as being a major contributor" to the U.K.'s forces in Europe and was permitted to sign the Treaty of Versailles at the conclusion of the First World War, stated Bercuson. In addition, Canada's contribution to the war effort spurred London to enter into talks with Ottawa, which "eventually led to complete independent Dominion status for Canada in 1931."
Second World War and the Italian campaign
"Our importance to the British and the Americans in helping to win that war, led to their considering us a considerably important nation in the post-war period," Bercuson said of Canada's role in the Second World War. For example, Canada was included in the "very earliest discussions" that gave rise to the establishment of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in 1949.
Canadians distinguished themselves during the Italian operations, their first sustained ground campaign of the Second World War. In the summer of 1943, Canadian forces took part in the Allied capture of Sicily, before moving on to the Italian mainland.
"The Italian campaign was a very difficult campaign," said Bercuson, noting that the terrain was hilly and mountainous with many river valleys. Given the easily defendable terrain, the Germans "fought a defensive battle from the very beginning." In December 1943, after intense house-to-house combat, the Canadians captured Ortona, a key Adriatic port.
The Germans blew up bridges and tunnels and culverts, and dug in around those positions. And that made taking those positions "very difficult," Bercuson said. "So every time the Canadians come to another river, they've got to fan out; they've got to bridge the river; they've got to cross under enemy fire." As a result, Canadian forces "took a lot of casualties in the Italian campaign." More than 26,000 Canadians were wounded and nearly 6,000 died.
Historians argue about the importance of the Italian campaign. One thing is for certain, said Bercuson, the Canadian offensive "drew off a number of German divisions that would've fought on the eastern front or faced us in France when we invaded in June of 1944."
Liberation of the Netherlands
Canada played a big role in the liberation of the Netherlands, sacrificing more than 7,600 Canadian soldiers in combat, including the Battle of the Scheldt and house-to-house fighting. "I think the Scheldt estuary battle was probably the most important Canadian victory of the war," Bercuson declared.
"The Battle of the Scheldt was a military operation in northern Belgium and southwestern Netherlands that took place during the Second World War," states a Veterans Affairs Canada report, which is part of its online Remembrance Series. "On September 12, 1944, the First Canadian Army was given the task of clearing the Scheldt of German occupiers."
To put the importance of the Battle of the Scheldt in proper context, Bercuson compared it to the Vimy Ridge victory of the First World War. "It was far more important in comparison to Vimy Ridge, had a much greater impact on the outcome of the war in the west [of Europe] than did Vimy Ridge," he asserted.
The Scheldt estuary (tidal river) was the route to the strategic sea port of Antwerp, which was the second-largest port in northwest Europe at that time, explained Bercuson. After the D-Day Invasion in June 1944, the Allies advanced through Nazi-occupied France, Belgium and the Netherlands. "Access to this port was essential to supply the Allied armies as they continued their push towards Germany to defeat Adolf Hitler's forces and free Western Europe from four years of Nazi occupation which had begun in April 1940," notes the Veterans Affairs Canada document.
The British captured the port of Antwerp in September 1944. However, said Bercuson, the Germans controlled areas along the Scheldt, giving them plenty of room to wage a defensive campaign.
"The Germans had mined the river, and they had fortified both sides of the river," Bercuson continued. "So it was impossible for the Allies to get supplies up the river into the port of Antwerp. The job was given to the Canadian Army to liberate the approaches to the port of Antwerp. And it was a long and very costly battle."
The fighting along the Scheldt finally concluded near the end of November 1944, just two weeks before the Germans launched their largest counteroffensive of the Second World War in Belgium, called the Battle of the Bulge. Because the port of Antwerp had been liberated and the Scheldt had been secured, "the Allies are able to pour reinforcements of troops and materiel into Antwerp to help beat the Germans back," Bercuson said.
Battle of the Atlantic
The Battle of the Atlantic was "one of the most important battles in the war," stated Bercuson of the Allies' struggle to keep shipping lanes open between Great Britain and North America. Were it not for the supplies and fuel shipped from Canada and the United States, the United Kingdom would likely not have survived.
In addition, Bercuson said, the Allies needed to ship millions of soldiers and thousands of tanks and trucks and aircraft across the Atlantic in preparation for the invasion of Nazi-occupied Europe. "If the Germans were able to choke off the sea routes to the United Kingdom, it would have been very, very difficult for the Allies to win the war in the west," Bercuson said.
German U-boats or submarines mercilessly attacked merchant marine ships carrying supplies bound for the U.K., threatening to cut off the Brits lifeline to North America. "The Royal Canadian Navy played a significant role in keeping the sea lanes open by helping to escort convoys and by also helping to destroy U-boats," Bercuson said.
According to Veteran Affairs Canada, more than 1,600 Merchant Navy personnel from Canada and Newfoundland lost their lives in the Battle of the Atlantic. It is also important to remember the sacrifices of the brave men of both the Royal Canadian Navy and the Royal Canadian Air Force. "Most of the 2,000 RCN officers and men who died during the war were killed during the Battle of the Atlantic, as were 752 members of the RCAF," according to Veterans Affairs Canada.
Korea and Afghanistan
The Korean Conflict is often ignored by ordinary Canadians. "If the United Nations had not intervened with armed forces, including Canadians, to help South Korea fight off the invasion of North Korea, which occurred in June of 1950, if the North Koreans had conquered the Korean Peninsula, South Korea as we know it today wouldn't exist," Bercuson said.
After decades of development, South Korea has "become pretty well as free a society as anywhere on earth," he continued. "That never would have happened under Communist leadership."
Similarly, Canada tried to bring stability to Afghanistan. "I think people have to remember what our mission was in Kandahar Province," Bercuson said of Canada's role in the Afghan war launched after the jihadist strikes on the United States of Sept. 11, 2001. "Our primary mission was to take over from the United States under the auspices of NATO, to basically allow the Americans to shift more forces to Iraq."
Canada was largely successful in that mission. Bercuson pointed out that Canadian forces kept "most important parts of Kandahar Province free from the Taliban."
However, he acknowledged that we won't know for "a long time" how successful the Canadian and NATO mission has been in Afghanistan. After all, South Korea was a military dictatorship in the decades after the Korean Conflict, but it eventually evolved into a liberal democracy. "We can't really tell what the end result is going to be in Afghanistan at this stage of the game, because the war is still ongoing," Bercuson said.
Canadian contributions to the First World War, the Second World War, the Korean Conflict, and the Afghan campaign "weren't the largest by any means," Bercuson stated. "But I don't think that's important. The important thing is that those wars demanded that allied countries that share a common view of the world stepped up to the aggressor and said: 'You're not going to get away with this.'"
By fighting in those conflicts, said the history professor, Canada demonstrated that it was becoming a "mature and independent" nation. "As a mature and independent nation, as we are today, we have responsibilities that go beyond our own borders."
Does Bercuson have a message for Canadians about Remembrance Day?
"Yeah. Go to a ceremony."
Follow Geoffrey P. Johnston on Twitter @GeoffyPJohnston.
The Kingston Whig-Standard 2016 ©
On Remembrance Day, Canadians in Iraq face combat
By: GAVIN JOHN, SPECIAL TO THE TORONTO SUN
BISHAQA, IRAQ - You don’t have to go far back in history to remember a Canadian soldier fighting for freedom overseas. In fact, all you have to go back is 24 hours in Iraq.
While Canadians prepare to pay their respects this Remembrance Day to veterans who gave the ultimate sacrifice, Canadian Forces are making a meaningful impact today in the battle against the Islamic State in Iraq.
On the outskirts of Bishaqa, Iraqi Kurdish soldiers — the Peshmerga — sit around and discuss the recent operation to liberate the town. When Canada is brought up there is nothing but praise. When the actions of Canadian Special Forces is mentioned, smiles come over the faces of the soldiers. They place their hands over their hearts as a sign of gratitude.
While officially on a “consult and advise” mission, as the official statements from the Kurds and Department of National Defence both state, the Canadian Forces are more than capable of defending themselves and their allies if threatened.
The battle has been hard fought for the Kurds, with much of the town bears the sign of an enemy who fights to the end. IEDs lay open on the roads, marked only by red flags, and many of the building lie in ruin. Kurdish armoured vehicles patrol the rubble, while in the skies coalition jets circle overhead. Throughout the day, sporadic gunfire and IED explosions are reminders that this war is far from won.
Too often, Remembrance Day speaks of battles long past, against foes long defeated, and for countries long secured. Yet among the bomb-riddled streets of Iraq, Canadian courage and commitment to freedom is clearly still in action.
To the frontline soldiers today in Bishaqa, Canada is a potent ally for freedom and one they hope stays the course.
The Canadian Special Forces mission in Iraq is a thankless job. Little is shared with the public, and Ottawa refuses to comment on the exact details of their actions.
This Remembrance Day will be one that Canadians take a moment and thank the sacrifices from days past, and one that Iraqis, Kurds and Canadians can take comfort in knowing that as we speak, Canada stands beside our allies to defend their freedom half a world away.
BISHAQA, IRAQ - You don’t have to go far back in history to remember a Canadian soldier fighting for freedom overseas. In fact, all you have to go back is 24 hours in Iraq.
While Canadians prepare to pay their respects this Remembrance Day to veterans who gave the ultimate sacrifice, Canadian Forces are making a meaningful impact today in the battle against the Islamic State in Iraq.
On the outskirts of Bishaqa, Iraqi Kurdish soldiers — the Peshmerga — sit around and discuss the recent operation to liberate the town. When Canada is brought up there is nothing but praise. When the actions of Canadian Special Forces is mentioned, smiles come over the faces of the soldiers. They place their hands over their hearts as a sign of gratitude.
While officially on a “consult and advise” mission, as the official statements from the Kurds and Department of National Defence both state, the Canadian Forces are more than capable of defending themselves and their allies if threatened.
The battle has been hard fought for the Kurds, with much of the town bears the sign of an enemy who fights to the end. IEDs lay open on the roads, marked only by red flags, and many of the building lie in ruin. Kurdish armoured vehicles patrol the rubble, while in the skies coalition jets circle overhead. Throughout the day, sporadic gunfire and IED explosions are reminders that this war is far from won.
Too often, Remembrance Day speaks of battles long past, against foes long defeated, and for countries long secured. Yet among the bomb-riddled streets of Iraq, Canadian courage and commitment to freedom is clearly still in action.
To the frontline soldiers today in Bishaqa, Canada is a potent ally for freedom and one they hope stays the course.
The Canadian Special Forces mission in Iraq is a thankless job. Little is shared with the public, and Ottawa refuses to comment on the exact details of their actions.
This Remembrance Day will be one that Canadians take a moment and thank the sacrifices from days past, and one that Iraqis, Kurds and Canadians can take comfort in knowing that as we speak, Canada stands beside our allies to defend their freedom half a world away.
Wednesday, November 11, 2015
Remembrance Day Ceremony
On This Remembrance Day - Take the time to remember those who helped protect our values, and gave the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.
This was the script I created for our service at school. If you need something for a later ceremony. Please use this, with my permission. The prayers from from the Canadian Armed Forces Chalpaincy Manual.
INTRODUCTION
SPEAKER # 1
Good morning. We come together today to remember in faith all who have served, and continue to serve in our armed forces, and especially those who have died and were wounded in battle. We also pray for healing and lasting peace; that one day, all peoples will lay down their arms and embrace one another as brothers and sisters in one human family.
OPENING PRAYER
SPEAKER # 2
Let us begin with an opening prayer: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Lord God, you fashioned each of us in your divine image and likeness, to live in the communion you share as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Be with us as we reflect and pray this morning. May this gathering, together with Remembrance Day thoughts and prayers everywhere, help move our world one step closer to the peace of your Kingdom. We make this prayer to you through Jesus Christ,
Amen.
LEST WE FORGET
SPEAKER # 3
Each and every year, we come together on November 11 to show our respect for those that have come and gone. We wear a poppy to show our support. Each and every year and say, “Lest We Forget.” But what does that truly mean?
It means we must never forget the past, and the sacrifices that were made to bring us to where we are today. This means we must remember the nearly 104,000 Canadians who gave the ultimate sacrifice for this country; the close to 230,000 who were wounded, and the countless veterans who struggle with non physical wounds each and everyday.
SPEAKER # 1
This past year marked a number of significant anniversaries and milestones in our country's military heritage. Such occasions are commemorated to ensure the sacrifices and achievements of those who served in times of war, military conflict and in peace support operations are recognized within the social context of the personal freedoms enjoyed by all Canadians in today's society.
This year marked:
SPEAKER # 2
The act of remembrance is not merely ceremonial. At it’s core, remembrance requires action. It carries the promise that we will learn from our mistakes. By ensuring that we remember the past, we can help make a better and brighter future possible. So today, as we remember our fallen, we must remember that they fought for a better world; one free of evil. They sacrificed their lives in hopes that tyranny in this world would end.
In the words of Rudyard Kipling;
God of our fathers, known of old,
Lord of our far-flung battle-line,
Beneath whose awful Hand we hold
Dominion over palm and pine—
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget—lest we forget!
Highway of Heroes - MP3 - 4 Mins (Play perhaps 2 min of song)
SPEAKER # 3
Now a reading of the poem which celebrates its 100th Anniversary this year, written by John McCrea, in May of 1915 near Ypres, Belgium.
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.
SPEAKER # 1
Following the Last Post - Let us pause for two minutes of silence as we remember all who have served to help bring peace to our world and God’s promise of peace.
LAST POST - MP3 - 1 Min 30 sec.
2 MINUTES OF SILENCE
ROUSE - MP3 - 30 seconds
SPEAKER # 2
ACT OF REMEMBRANCE
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.
SPEAKER # 3
CLOSING PRAYER
O God our Father, we thank you for those valiant hearts, who at the call of Sovereign and country laid down their lives in the cause of freedom. we pray that we may uphold the torch entrusted to us so that their sacrifice may not have been in vain. Unite all the peace loving peoples of our world in one holy purpose to defence the principles of freedom for which these valiant hearts lived and died. Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me. In the name of the great Prince of peace, we pray.
O' Canada - MP3 - 1 Min 12 sec.
SPEAKER # 1
Good morning. We come together today to remember in faith all who have served, and continue to serve in our armed forces, and especially those who have died and were wounded in battle. We also pray for healing and lasting peace; that one day, all peoples will lay down their arms and embrace one another as brothers and sisters in one human family.
OPENING PRAYER
SPEAKER # 2
Let us begin with an opening prayer: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Lord God, you fashioned each of us in your divine image and likeness, to live in the communion you share as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Be with us as we reflect and pray this morning. May this gathering, together with Remembrance Day thoughts and prayers everywhere, help move our world one step closer to the peace of your Kingdom. We make this prayer to you through Jesus Christ,
Amen.
LEST WE FORGET
SPEAKER # 3
Each and every year, we come together on November 11 to show our respect for those that have come and gone. We wear a poppy to show our support. Each and every year and say, “Lest We Forget.” But what does that truly mean?
It means we must never forget the past, and the sacrifices that were made to bring us to where we are today. This means we must remember the nearly 104,000 Canadians who gave the ultimate sacrifice for this country; the close to 230,000 who were wounded, and the countless veterans who struggle with non physical wounds each and everyday.
SPEAKER # 1
This past year marked a number of significant anniversaries and milestones in our country's military heritage. Such occasions are commemorated to ensure the sacrifices and achievements of those who served in times of war, military conflict and in peace support operations are recognized within the social context of the personal freedoms enjoyed by all Canadians in today's society.
This year marked:
- The 100th Anniversary of the 2nd Battle of Ypres, where Canadians faced the first use of poison gas in war
- The 100th Anniversary of the Writing of the poem In Flanders Fields,
- The 100th Anniversary of the Gallipoli Campaign
- The 70th Anniversary of the End of World War Two;
- and The 65th Anniversary of the Beginning of the Korean War.
SPEAKER # 2
The act of remembrance is not merely ceremonial. At it’s core, remembrance requires action. It carries the promise that we will learn from our mistakes. By ensuring that we remember the past, we can help make a better and brighter future possible. So today, as we remember our fallen, we must remember that they fought for a better world; one free of evil. They sacrificed their lives in hopes that tyranny in this world would end.
In the words of Rudyard Kipling;
God of our fathers, known of old,
Lord of our far-flung battle-line,
Beneath whose awful Hand we hold
Dominion over palm and pine—
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget—lest we forget!
Highway of Heroes - MP3 - 4 Mins (Play perhaps 2 min of song)
SPEAKER # 3
Now a reading of the poem which celebrates its 100th Anniversary this year, written by John McCrea, in May of 1915 near Ypres, Belgium.
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.
SPEAKER # 1
Following the Last Post - Let us pause for two minutes of silence as we remember all who have served to help bring peace to our world and God’s promise of peace.
LAST POST - MP3 - 1 Min 30 sec.
2 MINUTES OF SILENCE
ROUSE - MP3 - 30 seconds
SPEAKER # 2
ACT OF REMEMBRANCE
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.
SPEAKER # 3
CLOSING PRAYER
O God our Father, we thank you for those valiant hearts, who at the call of Sovereign and country laid down their lives in the cause of freedom. we pray that we may uphold the torch entrusted to us so that their sacrifice may not have been in vain. Unite all the peace loving peoples of our world in one holy purpose to defence the principles of freedom for which these valiant hearts lived and died. Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me. In the name of the great Prince of peace, we pray.
O' Canada - MP3 - 1 Min 12 sec.
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