Remembrance Day

Today here in Canada is remembrance Day, I believe the Americans have a similar day called Veterans Day, although I'm not sure if it falls on Nov 11th as well. remembrance day is a time for us to remember those who fought and died during the wars to make Canada the country it is today, a country of freedom.
My Grandpa on my mumby's side fought in World War II. He thankfully, came back from the war, married my nana as a war bride, fathered four children, and lived a long and healthy life until his death a few years ago. During the war he lost half a finger to a meat grinder while he worked in the mess hall. This is his biggest "war wound". He is by far one of the lucky ones. So many young men and women lost so much more during the war, lives, loved ones, their sanity. Mothers losing their sons, Daughters their brothers, Wives their husbands, young women their sweethearts and so forth. Almost every person you meet can tell you a story about someone they knew who was in a war.
My generation is so lucky to have not know war like the previous generations did, to not live in fear, to live in a free country, with freedom of speech and expression. Freedom to be any way we want to be without fear of war looming over our heads, freedom to grow up and raise families without fear.
For this we must remember, today and everyday. We must learn from the past, learn from the mistakes learn from what anger and hatred, miscommunication and misunderstanding can lead to. We must continue to make our world the world these men and women fought for and died for, the world they saw a vision for, a vsion that sustained them through the war, drove them to their cause each day. For them we must remember!


In Flanders Fields
By: Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918) Canadian Army
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.


http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/flanders.htm