On August 5o 1914, Canada was called to aid our mother country Britain, in order to defeat the Central Powers. Thousands of Canadians immediately enlisted as soldiers, nurses and pilots to fight for the freedom of this great country, and thousands of others would soon join them. They did this knowing they may never return home to their loving families. Life in the war was a horrific nightmare to say the least. Bombs and gunfire constantly sounded [off?], it was muddy, cold and disgusting, yet these brave men and women fought on, giving all they had. Soldiers frequently witnessed their friends being shot to death, hoping they were not the next in line. Battlefields became littered with hopeless dead and broken bodies, and many families were shattered when they learned the fate of their loved ones.
Armistice was declared on November 11 1918 ending the Great War. Canada returned home without 66, 573 soldiers and a further 138, 166 came home wounded. This is just one of several wars Canada has contributed to, and in each war countless soldiers have paid the ultimate sacrifice for my freedom. I could not imagine what my life would be like if these brave men and women had not put their lives on the line. Would I have this freedom that I so often take for granted, or would I be living a life surrounded by constant war? Furthermore, I can not imagine what it was like for mothers, fathers, sons, daughters etc. to learn that their loved one had made the ultimate sacrifice of their life. To be honest I am not sure, I would be willing to put my life on the line.
The least we can do to show our respects to the millions of soldiers who have served to protect our lives in the name of this country, is to stop and remember what their sacrifice means. It is our duty that we take a pause from our hectic lives to stop and remember what they did for us in WWI, WWII, the Boer war, the Korean War, and more recently in Afghanistan and other peacekeeping missions. For us it is only a minute each year, but for others it cost them their lives. We should not just remember them on November 11 but remembrance should flourish in our hearts everyday we live. It does not matter who we are, whether rich or poor, this applies for us all. They fought on the blood-stained battle grounds, in hospitals, in the air, and at sea for us, so it is essential we remember them. Remembering is wearing a poppy on your heart like you truly mean it and bowing your head for a moment of silence.
Sadly, I see too many of us are take the liberty we have been given for granted. We do not show our solemnity as we should; instead I see many of us make a joke of Remembrance Day ceremonies. We wear poppies, donate money, or have a moment of silence simply because we have to. Many of our veterans from the Great Wars have left us, but that should not give us an excuse to stop remembering them. Their influence has left a lasting legacy; therefore we need to make sure we honor their work.
On Remembrance Day I go to my local cenotaph in Markdale to stop and commemorate the soldiers who have fallen, respect and honor those who are currently serving, and think of the future soldiers who will sacrifice themselves. I wear a poppy to demonstrate my gratitude to those who gave their lives for me and I am truly thankful for every man and women who served. Merci tout le monde pour votre sacrifice à notre pays magnifique de Canada. Every day, I listen to our precious national anthem and am thankful for the liberty I have undeservedly been given. I am proud to be Canadian, and I make it my goal to one day visit Flanders Fields as I want to personally pay tribute to Canadian soldiers by visiting their graves. So what will you do to remember those brave men and women who shed their blood in the name of this great country?
