Thousands of Canadian men and women have given their lives over the years for our freedom. All they ask us is that you take a few minutes out of one day, November 11th, to show them respect and say thank you. Nothing infuriates me more than people who refuse to observe a moment of silence at 11am on November 11th. With that in mind, I have decided to dedicate my entire blog to Remembrance Day. And now on to this week’s questions and comments.
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From Jim at Queen’s U in Kingston
Comments:
Jim: Not a question just a comment. We hear all the time that the younger generation does not respect the older generation. I work at Queen’s University & I am responsible for the Remembrance Day Ceremony in Grant Hall. We have 500 chairs on the floor & another 300 in the balcony & each year on Nov. 11th it is standing room only as the student turn out in large numbers to pay their respect to the soldiers the fought for our country. Nice to see!!!
Answer:
Jim, it does my heart good to ready a story like that. Well done.
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Name: Marco
Comments:
Hey Clubber, I don’t wear a poppy at all during the days leading up to Remembrance Day, I have two of them permanently attached to my hanging decals of my car to remind me every day of the year about the sacrifices everyday people and even athletes of the time (like the recently passed on former Leafs Captain Ted Kennedy) made to fight for freedom.
I love the fact that we have this day but do you feel, as I, that we should change Remembrance Day to be a National Holiday instead of just an observance? Also, of all the current athletes out there, do you think that any one of them would make the kind of sacrifice that former NFL safety Pat Tillman did, to enlist in the Army Rangers during his playing days, putting his career on hold?
Answer:
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Marco, like you, I am appalled that Remembrance Day isn’t a national holiday in Canada. I don’t know of anyone, whether it’s an athlete, celebrity, sports caster or any other walk of life who would be willing to follow in Pat Tillman’s footsteps. With the exception of the British SAS or the Israeli Airborne, there isn’t anything as gruelling physically and mentally as U.S. Army Ranger School. Pat Tillman was one in a million. Maybe someone could surprise me, but I highly doubt that there is any current athlete who would walk away from a mutli-million dollar contract to join the Army; knowing full well that he would be sent into combat.
Name: Shawn
Comments:
Hey Jim! I don’t so much have a question for you about war, more of a fav to ask. I talk to a lot of people and they say they never even heard of the battle of Vimy Ridge in WWI. I was hoping you could maybe fill everyone in on the importance of that war towards Canadians, and why it was such a great victory for us. Thanks!
Answer:
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Shawn, it’s my pleasure. Up until the iconic Canadian Victory at Vimy Ridge, World War 1 was going very badly for the Allies. In 1915, the French Army attempted to take Vimy Ridge and suffered over 150,000 casualties. In April of 1917, the seemingly impossible task of capturing Vimy Ridge from the Germans fell to the Canadian Army. Up until that time, the Canadian Army wasn’t really viewed as being in the same class as the British or the Germans. Well that all changed forever between April the 9th and the 12th in 1917. In a brilliant coordination of troops and artillery, the Canadian Army overwhelmed the Germans and stunned the world by their decisive victory at Vimy Ridge. Over 3,500 young Canadians died during the battle, four of them won the coveted Victoria Cross for bravery. In the aftermath, the shell-shocked Germans referred to the Canadians as “Shock Troops”; the best of the best. There are many who feel that on April 12th, 1917, when the battle had been won, Canada truly became a nation.
From Leathal1
Comments:
I was already planning a military question before I read your note at the bottom of the column. My question is this: How do we get Remembrance Day the respect it deserves in this country? To me it is the most important day of the year and should be a full Stat Holliday. It is not a day to be spent getting a jump on Christmas Shopping, nor should it be treated like any regular work day. Please help me in restoring November 11th to the status it deserves. The thousands who have served our country and defended freedom around the world deserve more don’t they?
Answer:
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Leathall, I am behind you 100 per cent when it comes to making Remembrance Day a national holiday. All you can do is show respect all those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for this country and honour them with two minutes of silence at 11am on November 11th. Most of all, just try to say thank you when you see a vet. I bought a poppy the other day from two World War 2 veterans. These guys were awesome; they each had a chest full of medals and they wore their legion beret with pride. I decided to snap to attention, give them a salute and say thank you. They smiled, returned the salute and said, “Have a good one Canada”. I don’t mind telling you that I was damn proud to be Canadian right then and there.
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From: Dale
Comments:
Hi Jim, I noticed in your recent blog that you are passionate about military history. What would you say is the bigger miracle– Miracle on Ice or The Miracle of Dunkirk?
Answer:
Dale, what the Allies pulled of in the battle of Dunkirk was 100 times more impressive than the Miracle on Ice. Led by Field Marshal Von Rundstedt, the feared German Blitzkrieg had completely overwhelmed the Allies. As the German army closed in, the Allies were slowly backed right up to the English Channel. Suddenly, over 400 thousand soldiers were trapped on the beaches at Dunkirk, waiting for sure death or imprisonment. Instead of Herb Brooks in Lake Placid, the hero that emerged for the Allies was an unknown general named Bernard Law Montgomery; Monty. Under Monty’s impeccable leadership and the unwavering bravery of the Royal Navy; over 330,000 soldiers made it back to safety in England and lived to fight another day.
After Dunkirk, Monty rose through the ranks and became a military legend when he defeated Rommel in the Battle of El Alamein. From there, Monty was in command of all the Allied ground forces during the Invasion of Normandy. None of that would have been possible without the initial Allied victory during the “Miracle of Dunkirk”.
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From Alex
Comments:
Hey Jim, I know that I have had the privilege of having many memorable Remembrance Day experiences and I always feel very passionate about it. When I read your last blog I was very impressed that you were going to dedicate your next blog to Remembrance Day and I was wondering what your most memorable Remembrance Day moment?
Answer:
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Hi Alex, that’s a tough question to answer. The first one that comes to mind took place a couple years ago. That’s when Smokey Smith, Canada’s last surviving winner of the Victoria Cross attended his final Remembrance Day ceremony in Ottawa. I don’t mind admitting that I got a little choked up when he placed a wreath on the Cenotaph.
This year’s Remembrance Day has a little more of a special meaning to me this year. One of my best friends when I was in high school at Base Borden Collegiate Institute at CFB Borden is in Afghanistan right now. Lt Col Stephen Blair is in the midst of his tour of duty in Kandahar and every time I hear news about another soldier dying in Afghanistan, I pray it’s not him.
Lest we forget.