Remembering ... Lest We Forget ...

Today is a day of Remembrance ... a day to recall the cost of our lifestyle, and the freedoms we enjoy ... it is a day to pause and remember those who have fallen many miles from home, and who's remain lie on foreign soil ... it's a day to pause and remember the young men and women who have willingly gone off to serve their country, and who have paid the sacrifice for our freedom ...

Today I remember Herb, the 105 year old gentleman who regaled me with stories of his involvement at a place called Vimy. Pointing at Pierre Berton's account of the battle at Vimy he snorted "I don't have to read that ... I was THERE!!" He spoke of the gas attacks, urinating on his hankerchief and holding it over his mouth and nose as the noxious clouds rolled by ... he spoke of losing comrades as they went over the top ... he spoke of his wounds and the wounds of his brother who would succumb years later to the wounds and lungs weakened by the gas ... he spoke of coming home and seldom speaking of his experience lest the dark dreams that haunted his youth would return ...

Today I remember Frank, a gentleman poet who took his experiences in Italy and wove them into power works of poetry that reflected the futility of war, and the senselessness of countless deaths on the field of battle ... he spoke of his experiences, he shared his poetry, and he vocalized a contempt for those who think war and battles solve anything ..,. "Peace is the only option," he said tearfully, "too many lives are wasted in war ..."

Today I remember the Mosquito pilot who flew planes that had in part been crafted in the factory his family owned in Southern Ontario ... the fear that came while engaging in dog fights was lessened by the knowledge that parts of his plane might have been put together by his family and friends "back home." Flying in the dark in the small wooden fighter/bomber, he felt the support of those who loved him, and who he was fighting for ...

Today I remember the quiet memories of a land craft pilot who served in Dieppe, Sicily, and Normandy, ferrying soldiers to the beaches and pulling away as the landscape erupted in cacophany of noise, sharpnel and blood ... "54 of us went ashore that day ..." he spoke quietly, "and only one came back ..." He told of turning to his co-pilot only to find a bloody mess where his head had been ... watching as the 52 soldiers who stepped into the surf were mercilessly mowed down by enemy fire ... he spoke of the boot that pushed his chest as he tried to climb out of the bloodied craft ... "Stand down soldier," barked the officer pushing him back, "you need to do YOUR DUTY !!" A boat hook removed the body and a bucket of salt water washed away the blood ... a second man leapt into the co-pilots position and 52 more soldiers climbed down to hit the beaches of Dieppe ... "it was horrible ..." His voice trailed off into a deep silence ...

Today I remember my Grandfather who shared the uproarious stories of chowing down on fried bologna and onions in a heaving North Atlantic while the newbies on board his Corvette hurled thier lunch and curled up in thier hammocks ... his tales of Polly the parrot that he brought back to a very Conservative Chesley Ontario after it had shared quarters and definitely learned how to "curse like a sailor" ... his occassional stories of the convoys across the cold grey Atlantic to places like Murminsk, Londonderry and Rjeyavik ... stories that seldom visited the grim side of serving in the Navy, but highlighted the comradery ...

Today I remember the many men and women - soldiers, sailors and aviators, who have shared their stories, and who entrusted to me the tales of thier youth spent on battle fields half a world away ... quietly, at times speaking no louder than a whisper I heard of the Horror and the Heroism of battles that would slip away into the sands of time if they didn't share their stories ... Vimy, Yrpes, Dieppe, Sicily, Juno, Cassino, Kapyong ... Soldiers, Peace Keepers, and Veterans ... they carry their stories and their memories, and today, for a brief flickering moment, we pause to share their Remembrance, and to give thanks for ALL those who have served in uniform and who have given far more than many of us every realize or appreciate ...

Today we honour those who have fallen ... and those who have served and who were forever changed ...

Today we remember ... Lest We Forget ...