The gale turned the harbour white and tore at flags. Hats flew in the biting, icy blast. Yet steady, level and commanding the mighty military aircraft dropped from the southern sky, seemed to skim the waves then thundered resolutely straight up King Street and through the hearts gathered below.
In a town with just 2,263 souls, a thousand or so turned to watch the great gray bird shudder past then bank elegantly west into a cloudless sky. The continuum was complete. Old warriors, child sea cadets, citizens, infants, firefighters, cops, paramedics, politicians and dogs all gathered to remember the dead heroes of a war a century gone, reminded of eternal conflict. Those who serve are revered here. The stone monument to Vimy, Ypres and Passchendaele is laden with names of fishermen’s sons who never returned.
The crowd was deep. The parade long. One by one almost a hundred wreaths were laid, marking the lives of individual soldiers, kin, and the gratitude of everyone, from micro business owners who lined up at the foot of the statue to the entire Government of Canada, represented by a garland, but not a person.
The bitter wind whisked away the words of two hymns, but stilled for the national anthem. In these parts everyone knows the words. “In thy sons’ command.” And then, The Queen. Emotional and raw, this could have been a November morning in 1919 just as easily as it was a few hours ago. On the cuffs and shirttails of Canada, where the wars remain as embedded in generations as the shrapnel in many Halifax doors, remembering is daily. Of the 59,000 Canadians who fell in the Great War and another 45,000 who perished in the second, the greatest proportion came from little specs like this one. Nobody has yet forgotten. The hole remains.
‘You may place your poppies now,’ the Legion chaplin said. ‘The children first.’ And the eternal stone warrior was solitary no more as the crowd pressed forward, surrounding him, gently handing off their small scarlet gifts.
Another parade, RCMP cruiser at the head, questionable band in the middle, poor marchers at the tail. All lustily applauded. Lest we forget.
135 comments ↓
May they all rest in peace and let’s hope we can avoid massive and destructive conflicts in the future.
A nice tribute. I shall not forget. Ever.
Nice post – thanks.
Rest in peace Grandpa.
We live in peace.
We are free.
We miss you.
We love you.
……your family
11th day 11th month 11th day.
May we never forget.
First!
Red
Lunenburg was shining, today.
We will NEVER forget –
#56 Stan Brooks on 11.10.18 at 5:55 pm
#6 SoggyShorts on 11.10.18 at 1:49 pm
#123 Stan Brooks on 11.10.18 at 11:42 am
#110 The Real Mark on 11.10.18 at 9:15 am
3. Rents are rising everywhere , at least 30-40 % in the last 2 years alone, not sure where you see that deflation except in your dreams.
******************************
No Stan. Did you forget that the GTA is smaller than Canada again? “Everywhere” is just Toronto then?
There is a lot of talk about bubbles on this blog, but one you (specifically you Stan) need to be more aware of is the one your head is in.
Try talking to people outside of OT and BC. No one had a rent increase of 40% the last 2 years.
Stop making things up.
Loose the ignorance. Stop lying.
Rental Rates Soar By Double Digits In Half Of Canada’s Largest Cities
https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2018/05/16/rental-rates-canada-april-2018_a_23436309/
**************************************
**************************************
Stan you must be the absolute dumbest person who posts on this blog. Possibly anywhere.
♦You say rents have gone up “everywhere,at least 30-40%”
♦I call bullshit because across Canada they have not even come close to that.
♦You call me an ignorant liar and then post a link proving my point?
Read the godamn article you linked! The worst increase is in TO at 15%. How the hell does that translate to “everywhere rents have gone up at least 30-40%”?
At least read the bloody headline of the article that you link!
“Rental Rates Soar By Double Digits In Half Of Canada’s Largest Cities”
♦”Half” = 50%
♦”Largest cities” does not mean all cities
♦”Double digits” = 10% or higher
Do you not understand that this means most cities increased by less than 10%?
Do you not understand the difference between words like “half” and “all”?
@garth sorry this isn’t quite appropriate for 11/11
7 – “@garth sorry this isn’t quite appropriate for 11/11”
Ya think??
Lest we forget.
https://youtu.be/-VInKRNQ93s
100 years. Have we learned? At least we haven’t forgotten.
Lest we forget.
Thank-you Grandad,
You were there so I could be here. I remember
#7 SoggyShorts on 11.11.18 at 2:34 pm
1. I said 30-40 % in the last few years.
15 % is from April 2017 to April 2018 , i.e 1 year for quite a few cities, not just Toronto/half of the Canadian cities.
Apparently you are the dumb as to miss that.
I never said 40 % in a year.
2. This only cover rental apartments, how about condos?
There was a poster yesterday that got 31 % increase for a basement in Vancouver. That is NOT GTA.
I don’t quite understand your problem.
It is quite clear that cost of living is increasing significantly and you keep arguing on numbers.
Are you a government statistician or maybe the Putz himself?
Significant inflation in the last few years is a fact.
You argue with that and call people who just quote official statistics dumb, no problem, just another idiot in the brain frozen land.
Now go back to work for the mortgage, or maybe the sales commission?
Thanks again to all the Canadian gopher shooters
who went over and gave their young lives so we
can be Free.
Thanks Great Uncle Norman
I learned something today….
You are supposed to remove your poppy between 11am and noon. To honour those that have fallen.
I recently discovered that my great Uncle’s name is on the Vimy Ridge memorial. I hope to visit it one day.
Oh… and I still sing ‘In all thy sons command’….
#7 SoggyShorts on 11.11.18 at 2:34 pm
Ah, I forgot.
You of course know that people mostly rent in the big cities, right? So the statistics for the big cities is pretty indicative for the overall state of the rental market.
Find me a renter in Sault Ste. Marie
===============================
As for the WW1, from the Canadian Encyclopedia:
https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/first-world-war-wwi
The Canadian Parliament didn’t choose to go to war in 1914. The country’s foreign affairs were guided in London. So when Britain’s ultimatum to Germany to withdraw its army from Belgium expired on 4 August 1914, the British Empire, including Canada, was at war, allied with Serbia, Russia, and France against the German and Austro-Hungarian empires.
Canada’s total casualties stood at the end of the war at 67,000 killed and 250,000 wounded, out of an expeditionary force of 620,000 people mobilized (39% of mobilized were casualties)
Somebody please explain to me how that was worth it.
There is no question that Canadians fought heroically and bravely but for what, Germany or Austria was not a threat to Canada in 1914.
France where the war actions occurred was not an ally or strategic partner of Canada at the time other then through proxy with England.
WW2 is something very different and our participation in it should be the real cause of pride, not WW1.
WW1 was an unnecessary war.
I don’t usually support banning anyone…
But when I do… I support banning Stan Brooks.
Never Forget…
#TheExpendables,Or… #plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose
G&M – Ottawa owes veterans no ‘duty of care,’ federal lawyers argue in case
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-owes-veterans-no-duty-of-care-federal-lawyers-argue-in-case/article30465871/
CBC – ‘There is no justice in Canada’ say ex-soldiers as Supreme Court declines benefits lawsuit
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/equitas-scoc-leave-decision-1.4804259
CBC – Some veterans want more than Ottawa can afford, Trudeau tells town hall
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/justin-trudeau-town-hall-edmonton-1.4515822
#ACautionaryTaleForOurTimes…
https://youtu.be/qB7j4C6hBBA
With deep gratitude to those who served in the past wars as well as those who are currently serving in the Middle East.
Lest we forget.
Never forget the horrors of war!
Thank you grandparents and the grandpa I never got to know.
ALL wars are banker wars – and I am a veteran. I am glad I was eventually tuned up as they say and hope to make a difference educating young people.
To my Great Grandfather Wallace from Northern Ontario, part of the Canadian Railway Troupe in WW1 that bult the tracks to Vimy and Passchendaele
To my Great Uncle Ole, for,liberating Italy
To my Great Uncle Art, second wave at Juno with a bike
To my Great Uncle John, some secret stuff in England then a P.O.W.
To my Great Uncle Sid…who never talked about it
And finally to my Great Uncle Arthur, who I never met, who never came home and rests in Adegem Holland
thank you and we’ll never forget
And to Stan Brooks and Soggy Shorts…you should be ashamed of yourselves, today of all days
Well today, Remembrance Day, has become the only day when Canadians can still be proud of their history and culture.
According to silly little Justin Trudeau, Canada is becoming a new kind of country, not defined by our history or European national origins, but by a “pan-cultural heritage”. “There is no core identity, no mainstream in Canada,” Trudeau said, concluding that he sees Canada as “the first post-national state.”
This from the prancing buffoon we elected as our Prime Minister! What a disgrace!
Re: when to remove poppy
http://www.legion.ca/remembrance/the-poppy/how-to-wear-a-poppy
#14
on the poppy wearing i think the proper etiquette is to place it at a place of remembrance at 11am otherwise
it should be worn and than removed at sundown on the 11th. (November)
godspeed to all of our great men and women whom have or are serving in the services,protecting our way of life and championing the light of freedom and democracy come rain sleet snow or otherwise
Nice Remembrance Garth.
My parents families were Partisan/Partisan supporters in Italy during WWII. My Mother’s family hid Allied soldiers caught behind lines and my Father’s family hid Allied Airman that had been shot down and whatever else it took (their farms were not far from Aviano Air Base in NE Italy where I live today). Both families were not big fans of Fascism and Nazism (I know, Captain Obvious).
My Mother’s Father fought in WWI in NE Italy when/where that region was near overrun by the enemy (not far from where I live today). They eventually beat them back and won (my Grandfather was in the decisive Battle of Vittorio Veneto, not far from where I live) and without a lot of Allied help, pretty much on our own back then, unlike the French front.
From the little my parents told me it was hell and hated to talk about it (my Grandfather the same).
My Father did tell me the his best memory of WWII when:
General Eisenhower rolled through town.
Of course, being a Partisan that would make you happy too.
Once a year it is very good to remember the sacrifices those 2 generations made, with far too many of them having lost their lives (we were very lucky in my 2 families, only 1 was lost, my Father’s brother in WWII, none in WWI).
Why I never take my freedom for granted, nor do I forget the sacrifices made.
I think about their service and their sacrifice….and i wonder….what would they think of us ? And of Canada today ?
In Other news…
The Shiller Cyclical Adjusted P E ratio which has misled a lot of people for a lot of years is about to fall somewhat making the market look less expensive.
It is set to fall because the 2008 depressed S&P 500 earnings of $14.88 are about to fall out of the ten year range and be replaced with 2018’s figure which with three quarters of the year already done is estimated to come in at about $142. That should push the CAPE from its present 31.3 (implying average 10 year earnings of 2781/31.3 = $88.85) down to about 27.4. Still expensive by that measure but heading down.
In any case this Shiller P/E does not seem to have done anyone any favors by suggesting that the S&P 500 was over-valued these past 8 years or more.
It seems fundamentally flawed by not considering that higher P/E ratios are mathematically justified by lower interest rates.
Garth,
Great post.
I went to the Cenotaph ceremony in North Burnaby today.
A small turn out as compared to Lunenburg.
Then I went to the Military Plot in Ocean View cemetery and laid some flowers on the grave of the brother of a co worker.
He refuses to go there. To many memories.
His brother volunteered for Vietnam. Three weeks after his 19th birthday and 2 months before he was to return home. Killed in Action….much too young.
I was amazed at the turn out.
Dozens showed up to place flowers on the graves of relatives.
The Military Plot is surrounded by Canadian and British flags for Nov11th.
You can place the WWI , WWII and Korean battles from the dates on the graves.
It really hits home when you see how many died at a very young age.
I’m more along the lines of the “1,2,3 what are we fighting for” crowd.
I’ve seen a country invaded and millions killed so that a vice president/arms dealer could sell his wares.
I’ve watched as military decision making kills thousands unnecessarily because two people wouldn’t talk to each other.
I’ve read plenty about the two great wars. The principle purposes of both were to sell arms, with the USA selling on both sides of the conflict.
Right and wrong become too close.
When the opposing soldiers meet, just before they kill each other, in the name of wealth, privilege and family names that are not their own, just before they pull the triggers, they look in each other’s eyes.
What do they see? A couple of young men, with families and loved ones back home, forced into some one else’s fight over money and territory they could never understand, two blokes with nothing against each other, brain washed into becoming hired killers.
Two people about to commit murder for no reason.
If they had wanted us to blindly accept this shit they should not have let us read, travel and educate ourselves.
That is why young soldiers are the most in demand.
Yeah, you killed a lot of us, for your own financial gain.
Yes I remember the innocents that will never come home.
But don’t ever ask me to commemorate your f$c%ing war.
Not ever.
Nobody commemorates. They remember. Now go back and play with your phone. – Garth
I just looked at a newspaper article dated September 28, 1915 from the “Albertan” that my wife had in her cedar chest. Her Grandpa and his 4 brothers (5 boys from one family) had shipped overseas to fight. Courage off the charts. Ma and Pa must have felt sick. I’m grateful.
I’ll revert for once.
We can’t change the past. It was the fault of none of ours.
But we must ask ourselves what really caused these wars?
And going forward to ensure we never have to participate or witness such atrocities again.
Why did we enter that war?
Today I went with my brother and his wife to the cenotaph in Galt, Ontario. We were there to honour a great-uncle, Thomas (no middle name) Neill. As in Lunenberg, there were thousands of people, very young in strollers and aged in wheelchairs. And dogs, lots of dogs. Oddly enough none of the dogs barked. I remember that maybe most of all…no barking.
Tom was a Private in the 18th Battalion of the Canadian Infantry (Western Ontario Regiment). He died of wounds to the lower abdomen, groin, and upper thighs. He was age 19 years, 5 months, 10 days. Not hardly enough time to have lived!
Thomas Neill’s name is inscribed on the Galt cenotaph and also on the Vimy memorial.
At Vimy Ridge …. a great uncle who I never knew, but will never forget.
#31 Ace Goodheart on 11.11.18 at 5:03 pm
I’m more along the lines of the “1,2,3 what are we fighting for” crowd.
I’ve seen a country invaded and millions killed so that a vice president/arms dealer could sell his wares.
I’ve watched as military decision making kills thousands unnecessarily because two people wouldn’t talk to each other.
I’ve read plenty about the two great wars. The principle purposes of both were to sell arms, with the USA selling on both sides of the conflict.
Right and wrong become too close.
When the opposing soldiers meet, just before they kill each other, in the name of wealth, privilege and family names that are not their own, just before they pull the triggers, they look in each other’s eyes.
What do they see? A couple of young men, with families and loved ones back home, forced into some one else’s fight over money and territory they could never understand, two blokes with nothing against each other, brain washed into becoming hired killers.
Two people about to commit murder for no reason.
If they had wanted us to blindly accept this shit they should not have let us read, travel and educate ourselves.
That is why young soldiers are the most in demand.
Yeah, you killed a lot of us, for your own financial gain.
Yes I remember the innocents that will never come home.
But don’t ever ask me to commemorate your f$c%ing war.
Not ever.
————————–
^ This. +1000
It’s hard to comprehend how these individuals sacrificed their lives for our freedom. They deserve respect.
Meanwhile many of us take our way of life for granted
and fester over our wealth. We have no idea.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remembrance_Day
Thank You for Your Service…
Dad in WW2 had his ear drums blown as a Valentine tank gunner
Grampa in WW1 shot down over France in his Sopwith Camel
Thanks for your sacrifice….wonder what % of current Canadians would die for their passp..er country
Sorry that our government honours your recent sacrifices with words and wreaths and keeps the coffers shut…
It’s Not Pretty: Anatomy of the Housing Downturn in Vancouver, Canada
http://www.investmentwatchblog.com/its-not-pretty-anatomy-of-the-housing-downturn-in-vancouver-canada/
#109 Lawnboy on 11.11.18 at 12:09 am
Garth and Ryan
Its time to talk about some ROI.
In 1979 I met a veteran that fought in Hong Kong. Of course he lied about his age (15) to enlist and off he goes for the thrill of a lifetime, and a free trip to the orient, to be thrown under the bus of war.
The details of his 6 six days of combat, (yes six+) are in the recorded books of who did what and when, but near the end, The Rifles Sabotaged the runway at the airport and put up the white flag. They then spent years to rebuild same for their Japanese Guards.
And then the next port of call was…..wait for it,,,,,,,,,,.Nagasaki! Yup, he worked in a coal mine for the remainder of his time in Japan. Let’s say the movies got it mostly right. He was there with Brits and Canadian soldiers, Dutch Nationals ( Burma and Philippines), Americans marines (one was a very good artist and did pastels of camp life) all POWs in the Japs eyes. They suffered Yuge, those that were near death were the only ones to get a soup with meat in it made by the camp cooks (not the Jap all inclusive plan). The meat came from the snake pit that they cultured for this purpose.
Art was in camp so long that he could read and speak Japanese by the time it was over.
They mined coal by crawling in to the veins and seams with a trowel and a Kiboo,( a woven basket ) and then carry their load back to a rail car. He told me that they were so hungry they ate the TNT charge to calm the pain and slow their efforts to the war. They worked every day of the year with the exception of the Emperor’s birthday, for near 5 years.
He knew the bomb at the port city was big, because the papers said it was a fluke, never going to happen again they Trump-peted, It wasn’t long before the keepers did not show up for work. After his liberation, they stopped on the train in the port to see the silhouette of a man and his horse cart burnt into a cement wall. Art said the hair stood up on his neck for the first time, he thought he had seen it all, even after witnessing camp executions, He was spooked big time.
The Yanks got him to Hawaii, and then the Canadian War Ships straight to the Vancouver medical office where they pronounced he was going to reach the ripe old age of 28 based on his pathetic looks, you’ve seen the photos, Art just turned 20.
What was his ROI.
My unwavering respect for the rest of my life.
LB
———————————————————————————
Well said LB. My mother-in-law’s dad was a military POW in a Japanese POW camp north of Manila. He was killed when the Hell Ship he was being transported to Japan aboard (Arisan Maru) was torpedoed and sent to the bottom of the South China Sea. My mother-in-law and her mom spent three long years in Santo Tomas prison camp as civilian POWs facing starvation and abuse at the hands of their Japanese captors before US troops returned and liberated them.
My own grandfather was a Dough Boy who fought it out in the mudfilled trenches of France before returning home to Boston with pieces of shrapnel inside him to serve as a lifelong reminder of the hell he survived. He was a kind and decent man.
Here’s to our combat vets who hold the line for us.
Cheers,
BC Doc
#27 FOUR FINGERS WATSON
Well, I can tell you what my parents would think (both gone now). Tolerance and a bit of a story to get to there, so bare with me.
After the American’s rolled thru NE Italy in WWII, then came the Canadians.
Well, my parents said they sure were fond of our regional wines (Prosecco being one of the them) and got right plastered most nights (agricultural area, lots and lots of vineyards). Unfortunately, they ran over a lot of the locals (and not on purpose).
My parents thought, what a country, where do I sign up and promptly emigrated here (my theory is they liked to party and those Canadian soldiers sure must of left a lasting impression on them – they said that Canadian soldiers had big hearts). Also, our region was leveled after WWII, what happens when you live a mere 8 km from a major enemy air base and a hop and skip from one of the few mountain passes into Austria and Germany.
My parents were just happy to be in Canada and were very TOLERANT as I recall (well except for Dad and just the one time, he never did like Diefenbaker much for some reason).
They lived what gross intolerance leads to, WWII.
No, I think those generations would have been fine with what we think today are travails.
Nothing we have to put up with in our daily lives can compare with what they went thru, no sir, not – a – thing.
#12 Stan Brooks on 11.11.18 at 3:25 pm
#7 SoggyShorts on 11.11.18 at 2:34 pm
You argue with that and call people who just quote official statistics dumb
****************************
Nope, just those who don’t have the brains to actually quote them and screw it up by grossly exaggerating.
Words matter and you use them poorly.
Your exact quote:
“Rents are rising everywhere , at least 30-40 % in the last 2 years alone”
♦”everywhere” is wrong. (clearly, there are places where it didn’t happen)
♦”at least” is wrong (it means that the absolute lowest amount that rents increased was 30%)
If you had said
“Rents are crazy in some parts of the GTA. Some areas have seen increases as high as 30% over the last few years”
Then I would have no quarrel.
♦Stop using superlatives. (words like biggest, highest)
♦Remove “All” and “Every” from your vocabulary.
♦Be careful with comparative adjectives (More, higher, bigger)
Do all of those and your claims will be taken more seriously.
#35 LP on 11.11.18 at 5:29 pm
Tom was a Private in the 18th Battalion of the Canadian Infantry (Western Ontario Regiment). He died of wounds to the lower abdomen, groin, and upper thighs. He was age 19 years, 5 months, 10 days. Not hardly enough time to have lived!
=========================
A tragic story. Let’s remember them with respect and sadness.
There is nothing glorious or romantic in dying in a war. specially in a one with no real reason as WW1.
The last thing on the solders mind was that they would be celebrated for their heroism or that there grand kids would be proud of them. What an imaginable tragedy though for their mothers and fathers.
Rest in piece. Never more wars.
I assume someone forgot today because the missiles and jets are bombing just minutes ago between two countries. It will never end.
On St. Clair Avenue West, on the south side just west of Lansdowne Avenue is a public art installation know as “The Tribute to Friendship and Peace ”
It is intentionally located directly south of the gates to Prospect Cemetery where a large number of Canadian First World War soldiers are laid to rest. It brings out to the public street ….thoughts about war and loss of life that is required to bring about peace for the future generations to benefit from the ultimate sacrifice of past generations.
The art installation has a few quotes from famous writers and poets….. from many hundreds of years back that asks us to reflect on the sacrifices of people all over the world…..for over thousands of years.
It is country neutral.
If you are in that neighborhood you can also see on the north side of St.Clair Avenue, in front of Prospect Cemetery……….written on plain large rocks….poetry written by ordinary Canadians about people’s yearning for peace.
I helped coordinate this project and hope that it brings our thoughts about loss of life in war as a universal sadness that humanity cannot resolve its difference in a peaceful way….and in a gender neutral way.
“in all of us command”
There are really only two words I can offer to those who paid the ultimate price so we can spit on each other in this ‘free’ country every day:
Thank You
Lest we forget.
Millenial and Gen X blogdogs, joining the Legion is one of the best ways to get involved in your community! No Legion in your community, no problem, online memberships too!
https://www.100milefreepress.net/news/b-c-legions-in-need-of-young-members-to-continue-aiding-veterans-into-the-future/
I attended the ceremony at the Calgary Military Museums. Snow overnight and flurries during the ceremony but still at least a couple of thousand people filling up an area the size of two football fields.
I was surprised to see a friend as a guest speaker. Gordon Hill, whose 96th birthday was today as well, was a Spitfire pilot for the RCAF during WW2. I had once asked him what the most difficult part of being a fighter pilot was. He said it was suffering from a sore neck because he had to constantly be looking up and behind him so as not to be jumped by an Me-109.
I thought of another friend who died a decade ago, Jim Karr, who flew a bomber on the 1,000-plane raid against Mannheim. He remembered it as a bright orange carpet covering the ground to the horizon, with brilliant white flashes sparkling everywhere. The orange was the burning city and the flashes were bombs detonating.
I was born in 1955, so WW2 was only ever history to me. But I have heard the stories of Cowtowners who were there, and will not forget.
3rd and last post Garth, let others have their say.
I just wanted to thank many of the Commenters today for sharing their family stories about sacrifices made during WWI and WWII.
For me, it was really something to read. And sad at the same time.
I hope the younger generations far removed from first hand family members that lived and fought in those conflicts take to heart the stories recounted here today.
But most of all, that to never forget what those 2 generations did for the preservation of freedom and democracy.
And thanks Garth for your Blog today that inspired those very personal stories as told to us first hand by those that were in them.
Buonanotte a tutti on this Day of Remembrance.
#43 Dolce Vita on 11.11.18 at 5:50 pm
#27 FOUR FINGERS WATSON
Well, I can tell you what my parents would think (both gone now). Tolerance and a bit of a story to get to there, so bare with me.
……………………………
If you are asking me to get naked with you the answer is no.
RE: “Nobody commemorates. They remember. Now go back and play with your phone. – Garth”
The dead on all sides of a war are victims. I remember all of them.
The flying of airplanes, touting of military banners and equipment, to commemorate the killing of innocents is like advertising gun sales at the site of a mass shooting.
The airplane referred to in your blog post, stayed aloft due to the principles of avionics, which have nothing to do with nationalism or wars or “we are right” or any other politically motivated act of mass slaughter. Those who designed it are probably weeping for its use as an instrument of war.
Albert Einstein wept when he realized the purpose to which his discoveries were put.
If we are commemorating wars, then we need to view them as what they are: The wholesale slaughter of the poor, in order to make the wealthy wealthier. The ultimate wrong. The worst of humanity.
Commemorate the genocide and the murder of innocents. Do not commemorate the nationalist impulses that led to these sick tragedies.
To the men, women, and children who put their lives on hold to fight for the common good and against injustice, I will remember.
They fought for their families and the families of others and all are heroes. Their lives were put on hold, they faced life threatening circumstances. I thank them for everything I enjoy today…like being able to post on an influential blog and debate the merits of just about any topic within reason.
I miss those generations and their no nonsense, common sense approach. I am grateful that I was their student and a lesson learned is a lesson remembered.
My family is grateful. Cheers to them all!
Great blog as usual Garth. Enjoy your evening by the sea.
@#15 Stan Brooks on 11.11.18 at 3:41 pm
#7 SoggyShorts on 11.11.18 at 2:34 pm
Ah, I forgot.
____________
dude, just stop already.
#49 Shea on 11.11.18 at 6:42 pm
Millenial and Gen X blogdogs, joining the Legion is one of the best ways to get involved in your community!
——————–
Back in my university days I a ran a side business (computers/IT) and I had a delivery/installation of some computers to a Legion Hall… I showed up and they wouldn’t let me in unless I removed my hat. I said, “if you don’t let me in, how am I going to complete my work here? You’ve already paid me.” Old dude said, “OK, you can come in with your hat, but you have to buy us all beers!”. Lol, I could have left with the already paid for equipment (free $$$ for me) or simply taken off my hat… but looking at the folks, I felt sorry for them and bought them all a round. They looked like they needed it.
great uncle. Dieppe. never made it to shore alive.
After training in iceland of all places for 6 months.
what a waste.
Thanks dad for killing nazis from the hills of Serbia. Thanks for enduring torcher and your success on your 3rd escape, making it to Toronto and meeting mom. And making me.
You’ve been gone a few years, think about you everyday. RIP. Love you…
Elegant and thoughtful prose. Thank you.
To Stan #15
Ww1 may have been sparked by the old empires in their twilight. Europe’s resources and economy too small for the ambitions of the ruling class of each empire. Colonial wars had dragged on long before the Great War on arrived on European soil. The Great War was the beginning of the end of the colonial era and was the beginning of the next global era. Too bad it sowed the seeds more destruction to come.
All the same It does not take away the sacrifice the Canadians made. We stood for Britain and did so without hesitation and to me that is something to be proud of.
A great piece of reporting. Thank you for this.
REMEMBERIMG: WE MUST
#37 YOU MUST COMMEMORATE
“…But don’t ever ask me to commemorate your f$c%ing war.”
Not ever.”
Wrong there #37.
Soldiers are people their countries (this case Canada) hire and dispatch to do things the larger civilian population back at home wouldn’t think of doing themselves.
After training they are sent on their deadly missions because their political leaders have failed to resolve differences (with other jurisdictions) through diplomacy and/or geopolitical coersion of some sort.
WW1, the “war to end all wars”, was “birthed” by an amazing set of incompetent diplomatic and familial circumstances. From Russia’s czar, to the king of England, and to the German kaiser, whatever. Those relatives could not stop the juggernaut, launched by many european powers and the results are still remembered.
WW2 was a “good war” in that it corrected the screw-ups of the first war, apparently.
But then the Cold War broke out, which included the Korean “UN police action”, the Vietnam War and various client battles that consumed hundreds of millions of innocent lives. In the early 1990s, the Cold War ended. There was peace, until there wasn’t.
From the Balkans conflict to anti-terror actions Canadian soldiers are dispatched to fight.
Most now come home alive some of them wounded, others “whole”.
But many do not. And it is about the dead that I send you this message #37: when you write that you will not commemmorate, you insult the memories of those who served.
You reduce their currency as human beings.
You depress those who are left behind to pick up the pieces of their lives.
They may ask you, “why did he/she have to die, if it was all in vain?
Your comment indicates that all wars are unnecessary and those who fight are wasting their time and they, therefore, deserve their fate. Untrue.
In other words you’ve intellectually chickened out.
Those Canadian soldiers who perished or returned wounded fought honourably and honestly. They fought for us all.
For example:
WW1 may have been a magnificent cock-up, but when you take the outcome of WW2 into account the net result looks like this:
1) Europe’s empires were extinguished leading to creation of new countries, around the world, with a resultant huge creation of wealth and freedoms for regular folks;
2) Ended further inter-European tribal wars (the 1990s Balkans being the last example) through creation of the European Union;
3) Creating more, not less, democracy, and more hope for more people.
But the price paid was horrible.
The debts owed by those who stayed home will NEVER be repaid. I don’t want that because memories then would fail and we’d all forget those sacrifices.
That is why we commemorate.
You MUST commemorate.
It is every citizen’s duty.
From a WW1 poem written in 1914 by English poet Laurence Binyon, these few famous lines found on cenotaphs across the worlds:
“They shall not grow 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.”
Lest We Forget.
And yet, today Donald Trump refused to show up to honor veterans, due to a little rain.
https://ca.yahoo.com/news/twitter-pelts-trump-photos-obama-015643268.html
To all those even vaguely inclined to support this man, please take a moment to remember what so many have fought and died for.
Democracy and freedom, not the lying tyranny of narcissistic, dictatorial, Orwellian fools.
#16 Shawn Allen on 11.11.18 at 3:59 pm
I don’t usually support banning anyone…
But when I do… I support banning Stan Brooks.
They fought for freedom; freedom from tyranny; freedom of thought and speech etc. Those who sacrificed i’m sure would not want to ban people for speech we disagree with. It doesn’t matter that it may be poorly timed or in bad taste.
Disgraceful that our government doesn’t take care of our vets but continues to allow tens of thousands of illegal refugee claimants to walk across our border every year and we house and pay for them.
Much respect for all members of our armed forces and their families.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1tqtvxG8O4
RE: #49 Shea on 11.11.18 at 6:42 pm
Lest we forget.
Millenial and Gen X blogdogs, joining the Legion is one of the best ways to get involved in your community! No Legion in your community, no problem, online memberships too!
https://www.100milefreepress.net/news/b-c-legions-in-need-of-young-members-to-continue-aiding-veterans-into-the-future/
Legions are actually a great way to learn about your neighbourhood.
Go, join, sit down and talk to the people you meet there. You will learn massive amounts. Way more than by surfing the web or reading the papers. History is sitting in the room with you, drinking the cheap Legion beer and eager to tell you everything, before they move on to the next world and all of their knowledge is lost.
You will love the folks you meet at the Legion halls, and you will understand your neighbourhood better than you ever thought possible.
Will not forget. To our parents, grandparents, uncles and aunts who fought in the wars. And the ones who returned but some were not the same, the stories.
We live through them. Our tears are dry but we will always be grateful to them. And to the brave ones today, never seems to end, war.
We should be honouring them more often like maybe every month on the first.
Like a blogger above me mentioned about joining a Legion. So agree, join your local legion to support them.
on this one … thanks Dad. Remember you often. Cherish your and your father’s medals. Went to a ceremony today here in the Lower Mainland which was attended by many … young and old alike. Not many old vet’s from WW2 left but a few were wheeled in. Four old WW2 planes slowly passed overhead and for the rest of the ceremony we were serenaded by the thousands of snow geese flying over … seemed fitting somehow.
Celebrated Remembrance Day today in my hometown of Arthur Ontario which has been recognized as the most patriotic town in Canada due to its service during the Second World War. Take a look at the great murals that are in this patriotic town in Wellington Country.
http://www.simplyexplore.ca/arthur-murals.html
Of the 59,000 Canadians who fell in the Great War and another 45,000 who perished in the second, the greatest proportion came from little specs like this one.
My grandfather served in the Canadian Army in the First World War. Got his leg shot off. He lived in Burks Falls and raised his family. My father served in the Canadian Army in the Second World War. He moved to Toronto and raised his family.
Canada: Home of the free because of the brave.
Nice tribute, thanks Garth. Nice also to see Crowdedelevatorfartz refrain from bad-mouthing military personnel, for once; Gravytrain should take notice… Victoria Tea Party: great rebuttal to Ace’s comments!
Having lost several friends and coworkers to one single attack in Kabul, plus many more fellow aircrew over my career, Remembrance Day now has a much broader meaning to me. I definitely appreciate this special post!
Lest we forget
defence stocks, uppa uppa.
Value of humans stacked like chord wood, not so much.
Lest we forget, ever.
#31 Ace
Go away donkey
RATM
To my Dad, papa, uncles and father-in-law -WW1,WW2 and Korean War – thank you and I pray that my son never has to do what you suffered through
RATM
It could be that this is a dying ritual.
Unexpectedly after 11am I was today in a large chain store A perfectly un-accented voice came over the PA with a reminder and small lines of prose.
We remember but to others it will be history unknown, with little meaning.
let’s not forget the long list of war profiteers:
Bayer invented mustard gas
Monsanto- agent orange
Seimens used Auschwitz slave labour,
and these guys:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vítkovice_Mining_and_Iron_Corporation
My dad.
Nicest sweet dude you ever met. Everyone loved him. The shit he went through in ww2 I can’t relate.
Obviously, I took moms characteristics, she was born in Greece on the island where lesbians took there stance.
The world needs people with balls.
I got two.
#39 arfmoocat on 11.11.18 at 5:35 pm
Thank You for Your Service…
Dad in WW2 had his ear drums blown as a Valentine tank gunner
Grampa in WW1 shot down over France in his Sopwith Camel
———
Very sad.
Wasted their lives for nothing.
Watched most of the Veterans Parade in Tempe, AZ this morning. Local politicians in old cars handing out candy. Veterans in old cars, on noisy Harleys, and in new Corvettes. Shriners in their toy trucks, one high school marching band, children’s gymnastic and dance classes, etc. Not my idea of a solemn remembrance of the horror of war.
You warmongers.
Read “All quiet on the Western Front”
No heroes, only losers.
Garth,
Love your posts.
All the lefty freak shows are claiming. Hunter S Thompson would have there back.
Hunter was a 911 truther. I think Trumpo would be his man. Can’t see him warming up to the Nancey freak show.
Constitution is what all druncks and real writers appreciate.
BC Housing Market: Wolf Richter reports on Steve Saretsky, a Vancouver real estate agent:
Detached House Sales in October are the lowest in 20 years. Condo sales in the Fraser Valley are down 50%.
https://www.howestreet.com/2018/11/11/anatomy-of-the-housing-downturn-in-vancouver-canada/
The Dippers can talk about their good intentions but the taxes they have put in place are contrary to the interests of people who own property. It’s too much to say that they have single-handedly popped the housing bubble. They haven’t. Rising interest rates and tightening credit are more important but it is fair to say that they have made a bad situation worse.
And it’s going to get even worse. The housing market moves slowly, but by the spring, 2019 it’s going to be evident that detached house sales are the lowest, ever. People that own property are going to realize they cannot sell it. Like the sorcerer’s apprentice, the Dippers will look to fix the problem. They’ll fiddle with the taxes but it will be too late. Interest rates will continue to rise and credit will continue to be tightened. The BC Dippers are going to be booted out. Like the Ontario Liberals.
H asked our 4.5 year old grandson what the poppy means.
“to not forget people are in heaven.”
RE: #74 Doug t on 11.11.18 at 10:09 pm
“To my Dad, papa, uncles and father-in-law -WW1,WW2 and Korean War – thank you and I pray that my son never has to do what you suffered through
RATM”
If your prayers don’t work (which they won’t) you could try education.
Not the government sponsored childhood indoctrination that they practice in our elementary and high schools.
Real education.
The next time your government identifies a race of people that you have to arm up and destroy, start asking questions. Why these folks? Why are they so bad? Why do we need to kill them? Have a close look. Poke around. Don’t assume.
You’ll probably find a few things:
1. An arms dealer. They are usually high up in politics. They want the war. They produce propaganda, usually through a third party. Look for the connection between the two. You can learn a lot about the arms dealer by examining their ties to the associated propaganda machine.
2. Banks. Who is loaning the money? Wars are fought on credit. Someone is getting rich, loaning funds to your government, to send your children to the slaughter. Identify who is doing that, and you will find the people who are pulling the strings of the politicians who are driving the conflict.
This is an essential truism of military conflict that you cannot get around. Identify the bankers, and you will find the people responsible for the war. Someone owes money to someone else. There is a reason why suddenly we all have to hate a particular race or a particular country. That reason is debt.
Identify who is paying whom back, and you have solved the conflict.
If you want to save your children from having to be killed, while killing others who are equally innocent, praying is not the answer. The answer is dig deep, study, educate yourself and your family, and ask a lot of questions.
Do not believe the nationalistic lies.
Conflict is caused by ruling families owing each other money, and the bankers who act as the intermediaries between them.
BTW thanks for the ‘nomer. I style myself after a 1970’s TV cartoon character. That was a breath of fresh air.
Cheers!
Ace………..
We should never have participated in any wars. It always costs us a fortune in blood and money and we get nothing in return.
What exactly threatened Canadian freedom in World War 1 anyway? The Kaiser? He wanted to steal Canadian freedom?
War has never been in our national interest.
Garth, you piss me off immensely with your pompous attitude. But I adore Dog and wry wit.
Garth, you have educated me immensely with your financial acumen, even if you piss me off with your dismissal of gold being an anchor for financial well being.
But on this day, we stand united for which our forefathers/mothers sacrificed in two WW.
4Fingers, #27
They would have never put their lives on the line for the way Canada has turned out now.
The way lawyers have bastardized the principles those heroes died for, no way would those patriots sign up now…
Hey Ace , normally I appreciate your comments. Today not so much. This day is to remember the fallen that we may attempt to not repeat the past. Your vitriol is misguided and misplaced. I appreciate your opinion , but today is not the day to share it.
I always find myself a bit out of sorts on Nov 11, and tend to pay a touch more attention to several of the framed pics on my walls around here. I also notice my thoughts diverge considerably from the ordinary daily concerns.
I don’t second-guess the motivations of many of my relative’s who volunteered to fight over 100 or almost 80 years ago; nor anyone else’s. Unless they’re willing to talk about it (which few were) it’s pretty tough to analyze or debate; especially from the comfort of a warm living room and a big screen TV.
From the snippets I overheard, or on the rare occasion when a war story tumbled out; I surmised that they may have done heroic things, but never considered themselves heroes.
I’ve always considered that stoicism somewhat more preferable to the present cult of military worship (there really isn’t another way to state this, btw) and I’m certain my grandfather’s, greatuncles, uncle’s, and mom and dad would have been somewhat embarrassed by it.
I honestly can’t remember where I read this, but it was in the last couple years: the writer stated that if we had any true respect for our veterans, as a nation we would conduct our domestic and foreign affairs in a manner that wouldn’t produce any more of them.
I am grateful to my father and his two brothers who served in WW2, a wireless operator, a bomber pilot, and a navigator. They risked all.
#79 John Cooper on 11.11.18 at 10:31 pm
Watched most of the Veterans Parade in Tempe, AZ this morning. Local politicians in old cars handing out candy. Veterans in old cars, on noisy Harleys, and in new Corvettes. Shriners in their toy trucks, one high school marching band, children’s gymnastic and dance classes, etc. Not my idea of a solemn remembrance of the horror of war.
————————————————
A base culture based on oil!
Actually the Americans celebrate veterans and warriors on Nov. 11. Our day is about remembrance and sacrifice. There is a difference. – Garth
A wonderful tribute, Garth.
Appalling how Trudeau chose to politicize Remembrance Day by going after “nationalists”, otherwise known as patriots until recently.
@#82 Smoking Man on 11.11.18 at 10:39 pm
All the lefty freak shows are claiming. Hunter S Thompson would have there back.
______________________________________
didn’t you say you were done with this blog?
take off already.
@#71 Keen Reader
“Crowdedelevatorfartz refrain from bad-mouthing military personnel.
+++++
Please refresh my memory
@ #53 Ace
“Albert Einstein wept when he realized the purpose to which his discoveries were put.”
+++++
Einstein knew the destructive potential of developing a nuclear bomb and he wrote a letter to the President of the United States stating as much.
He also warned of Nazi Germany developing one first and “placing it in a ship and sailing it into a port and detonating it.”
That letter was the impetus of the Manhattan Project.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Einstein%E2%80%93Szil%C3%A1rd_letter
And just as another war starts
https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/indonesian-muslim-clerics-reject-measles-rubella-vaccine-as-unclean/news-story/c87376eef0f6db057b9732859f6de871
Our country is leaderless
@#53 Ace
if you want to quote famous “weapons merchants”
lets start with Robert Oppenheimer the man most instrumental in seeing the Manhattan Project through to the detonation of the 1st A Bomb at the Trinity site in Nevada.
( the irony of naming it after the “holy trinity” never ceases to amaze me).
Upon witnessing the 1st atomic bomb explosion and the roiling mass of a massive mushroom cloud rising tens of thousands of feet in the air, Oppenheimer quoted the a hindu prayer, ” Now I have become Death, destroyer of worlds”
https://www.wired.co.uk/article/manhattan-project-robert-oppenheimer
@#97 Fred from Oz
“Our country is leaderless”
++++
Ours isnt much better…….
#64 ulsterman on 11.11.18 at 8:08 pm
#16 Shawn Allen on 11.11.18 at 3:59 pm
I don’t usually support banning anyone…
But when I do… I support banning Stan Brooks.
They fought for freedom; freedom from tyranny; freedom of thought and speech etc. Those who sacrificed i’m sure would not want to ban people for speech we disagree with. It doesn’t matter that it may be poorly timed or in bad taste.
———————————————————–
Its the only time that really matters, when its hard to do…
That said, I skip past that blather myself rather then read it – utter waste of time…
93 Howard on 11.12.18 at 7:11 am
A wonderful tribute, Garth.
Appalling how Trudeau chose to politicize Remembrance Day by going after “nationalists”, otherwise known as patriots until recently.
———————————————————
Yes it was a wonderful tribute.
Appalling that you chose to politicize patriotism and the 100 year anniversary of the human costs of rampant nationalism and imperial competition run amok with an uber alles nationalist plug.
Stan, Ace, Wrk.dover, Ponzius et al:
So which “Canadian bankers and arms dealers” voted for conscription?? Too funny to hear you advocate educating ourselves!!
Despite decades in Defence, never met a single “warmonger”, just many bright and educated folks that care about world issues, and do more than crawl under their rock. Unlike you, they understand that our leaders place national interests above individual ones, which sometimes means acting on our responsibility to intervene.
Also, don’t assume that you can safely walk this world immune from those who resent Canada’s actions and who believe western culture should be eradicated. Enjoy being oblivious but be thankful to those who allowed you to remain so…
Free Mortgage. Buy and pay nothing !!
https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/free-mortgage-deal-attracts-buyers-to-langley-development-despite-condo-glut
This is real estate heaven!!! No strings attached? It’s printed in the paper so it must be true and honest, right?
@#95 crowdedelevatorfartz
Your rants about the military “gravy train”, “medals for coffee burns”, not deserving their pensions, etc. Pretty clear broad-brushing, at the time… Have a nice day anyway!
I like the sound of spoken English better than German, so I for one, am glad the allies stepped up when they did in both World Wars.
#101 Remembrancer on 11.12.18 at 8:33 am
93 Howard on 11.12.18 at 7:11 am
A wonderful tribute, Garth.
Appalling how Trudeau chose to politicize Remembrance Day by going after “nationalists”, otherwise known as patriots until recently.
———————————————————
Yes it was a wonderful tribute.
Appalling that you chose to politicize patriotism and the 100 year anniversary of the human costs of rampant nationalism and imperial competition run amok with an uber alles nationalist plug.
———————————-
Nothing wrong with nationalism in itself and it goes part and parcel with patriotism.
It’s only when nationalism is combined with toxic leftist ideology – as was the case in Communist Russia, Maoist China, and National Socialist Germany – when it becomes dangerous.
Reflections on The Great War and Canada becoming a “Post National Country” with no core identity. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBX50EL_q5g
The reality we dare not remember in remembrance:
(Rudyard Kipling’s two-line poem “Common Form”, his epitaph for the son he lost at Loos.)
It wouldn’t do for everyone to know the actual reason why they fought or relatives died. Better to perpetuate propaganda myths and celebrate sacrifices, lest people be unwilling to to do their bit in future.
Newsflash: WW I was not “The Great War for Civilisation” advertised on the Victory Medal (there is a difference between civilisation and British hegemony), WW II was not about saving Poland or the Jews, the Cold War was a crock, Korea was unnecessary, so was Viet Nam, and the justifications for the wars after that went straight downhill.
Hillary Clinton v Donald Trump : The rematch!
https://www.wsj.com/articles/hillary-will-run-again-1541963599
It is very healthy to pause and reflect on the events of the past that ultimately allowed us to live our way of life today.
Canada’s contribution to the massive wars during the first half of the 20th century is significant.
Had the allies not ultimately won, we would not be here today.
The discourse would be all together different.
We are all very lucky to be alive, and living in a great country.
Thanks to the bravery and sacrifices of those that came before us, we are free to have the luxury of discussing and opining on trivialities like the housing market and the stock market.
We should not take this freedom for granted, and be grateful for the relatively cushy and comparatively easy lives that we lead in this era.
Money and houses aren’t everything.
Freedom is.
#79 John Cooper
Not my idea of a solemn remembrance of the horror of war.
——————————————————————–
I am down here in AZ too.
Interesting observation.
The Americans sure do have a very different way of commemorating their veterans.
Everything down here is a bit of a circus.
Like I said before, visiting the U.S. is like a trip to the amusement park. Lots of hoopla 24/7. Ridiculous abundance and convenience.
Ahhhh, but once you’ve had your fill, you can just leave.
#102 Keen Reader on 11.12.18 at 8:37 am
For the record:
I never said anything bad about our military.
I absolutely agree with your assessment on the people in uniform.
our leaders place national interests above individual ones, which sometimes means acting on our responsibility to intervene.
Are you sure? This not what this leader said:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postnationalism
In 2015, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau while defining Canadian values declared his country to be the world’s first postnational state.
as for:
who resent Canada’s actions and who believe western culture should be eradicated
you are in shallow waters and can easily be accused of racism and Nazism (you have to define western culture in a post-national world without offending other cultures, it is a slippery slop)
and your leader disagrees with you:
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/world/article-macron-sends-stern-message-to-trump-others-on-remembrance-day-about/
#100 Remembrancer on 11.12.18 at 8:21 am
#64 ulsterman on 11.11.18 at 8:08 pm
#16 Shawn Allen on 11.11.18 at 3:59 pm
I don’t usually support banning anyone…
But when I do… I support banning Stan Brooks.
They fought for freedom; freedom from tyranny; freedom of thought and speech etc. Those who sacrificed i’m sure would not want to ban people for speech we disagree with. It doesn’t matter that it may be poorly timed or in bad taste.
———————————————————–
Its the only time that really matters, when its hard to do…
That said, I skip past that blather myself rather then read it – utter waste of time…
Absolutely, that is the right action, that would be my advice as well.
My posts are targeting people with some actual neuron cells and who can actually use it.
#89 yvrmc on 11.12.18 at 12:32 am
Hey Ace , normally I appreciate your comments. Today not so much. This day is to remember the fallen that we may attempt to not repeat the past. Your vitriol is misguided and misplaced. I appreciate your opinion , but today is not the day to share it.
—————–
If not today, when? Wasted lives for what boils down to money.
Read #23 above by Sam because he describes our PM with utter accuracy, and what has happened to our country. Is this what we voted for? The PM sees the first post-national state, and this was created by his agenda alone.
The ugly reality of collateral damage of wars manifests itself in a mass shooting of young people in California.
@#104 Keen Reader
“my rants”
+++++++++
The medal for a “coffee burn” was absolutely true.
I was standing on the sidewalk being a “tourist” and overheard one officer in Ottawa telling another officer he burned himself with coffee at the office and because he was on duty at the time and he had to take time off due to his injury…..he was getting a medal.
Even he was laughing about it……
As for the pension gravy train…. I stand by that as well.
Where else can you get a govt job at 18… be trained, housed, clothed for free and retire at 48 with a full pension? Bankrupt Greece? Soon to be Bankrupt Italy?
And lets face it.
Canada’s military hadn’t seen a lot of “action” in the decades from the late 1950’s Korea until 9/11 in 2001.
The odd UN mission to Africa and Eastern Europe to wear a blue helmet and get paid in US dollars to “police” .
As for injured vets suing for “compensation” for their battle injuries…..
What did you expect when you signed up?
A govt job with no risks and a fat pension after 30 years?
Should the govt supply battle injured vets with physio? Yes.
Should the govt supply battle injured vets with surgeries ? Yes.
Medications ? Yes.
Millions in “compensation” for injuries sustained? No.
That was the risk YOU took when you signed up to go to foreign lands where people might shoot at you.
We dont give policemen, fisherman, farmers or Loggers who have lost limbs…. millions in compo unless its proven there was negligence on the part of the employer…..so unless you can prove negligence on the part of the military brass for sending you into battle……
Nice piece Garth, well written, thank you.
For the record:
WWI was started by the Austrians.
The Allies deemed Hitler a greater threat than Stalin.
The notion that Hitler would have conquered North America is pure speculation.
The spread if brutal communism to all parts of the world is a fact.
#75 TurnerNation on 11.11.18 at 10:14 pm
It could be that this is a dying ritual.
Unexpectedly after 11am I was today in a large chain store A perfectly un-accented voice came over the PA with a reminder and small lines of prose.
We remember but to others it will be history unknown, with little meaning.
____
Probably correct. Right now, early Gen X’ers are the last generation to possibly have had a conversation with someone who experienced WW1 first hand (a long lived, now long dead Grandpa in my case). These are the last living personal connections to the Great War that will ever be.
For Gen Z forward it’s now just written/photographic history. I have a pic of my eldest (Gen Z) as an infant being held by my Grandpa aged 99 (The Greatest Generation)- not too long before he died. This is my son’s only visual connection to his Great Grandpa, and the only living connection he has ever had to any pre-Silent Gen individuals. Yet even at 99 back then, Gramps was still too young to have been an actual WW1 Vet.
Very few are left that were even alive at the time – I believe all actual WW1 Veterans the world over have now passed. There might only be a handful folks alive right now that are old enough to even have a child’s recollection of it i.e. ~105 years old minimum in 2018.
The direct personal connections to the folks who fought and lived it are just about gone today. With the passing of Gen X’ers in the future, even the memories of said folks in the flesh will be gone. Once the Gen Z’s start to pass on – the old photograph in Grandpa’s attic showing an old Man holding a baby might even be a nameless old Man to his great, great and great, great, great Grandchildren. From there, all tangibility is lost and it’s all just words and pictures.
@#112 Stan Brooks
Let’s not confuse so-called postnationalism with past decisions to commit personnel and resources to selected conflicts. Canada’s intents through these several wars seem pretty clear to me, and to those that stood up in Parliament at those times.
Western culture: far from me to define it, or pretend to defend it. I merely offer that opponents clearly target any person or organization deemed to represent it, in their eyes. Whether you like it or not, our forces actively participate in eliminating threats to our national interests, in delicate policy tradeoffs. At the individual level, claiming to be a peace-loving Canadian certainly will not keep you safe in the backyards of ISIS, Al-Shabaab or Boko Haram!
Cheers
#117 crowdedelevatorfartz
When stuck in a hole, stop digging. I’ve had to vet and push for several medals, don’t be so gullible.
Next, 30 years is not a full pension, get your figures straight. Also, easy to make much more money in the trades you mention. Even more so as a business leader, compared equivalent military or governmental positions.
Finally, I’ve lost friends to UN missions before 9/11; they certainly didn’t enjoy their well-deserved pension. Please quit trying to lecture us.
@#120 IHCTD9
” I believe all actual WW1 Veterans the world over have now passed.”
+++++
The last Canadian WWI vet died in 2010 at 110 years old .
The last WWI vet was a Brit who died at 110 in 2012
https://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=11&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwja5pj4sM_eAhUDKnwKHQtMCx4QFjAKegQIBRAi&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.telegraph.co.uk%2Fnews%2Fuknews%2F9066371%2FLast-surviving-veteran-of-First-World-War-dies-aged-110.html&usg=AOvVaw2lpKNf982-yGHq9Af3F7G2
Anthem for Doomed Youth
BY Wilfred Owen
What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?
— Only the monstrous anger of the guns.
Only the stuttering rifles’ rapid rattle
Can patter out their hasty orisons.
No mockeries now for them; no prayers nor bells;
Nor any voice of mourning save the choirs,—
The shrill, demented choirs of wailing shells;
And bugles calling for them from sad shires.
What candles may be held to speed them all?
Not in the hands of boys, but in their eyes
Shall shine the holy glimmers of goodbyes.
The pallor of girls’ brows shall be their pall;
Their flowers the tenderness of patient minds,
And each slow dusk a drawing-down of blinds.
How Shall Each of Us Be Remembered?
A lot of nice posts… Many bitter ones too.
Great disrespect shown in some cases.
In between complaints some of us might want to ponder how we will be remembered.
What are the things each of us can be proud of in our own accomplishments and treatment of others?
Will we have earned our keep in life? Will we have contributed more than we took?
Tax shift: Companies dump burden of taxes on squeezed municipalities
Open this photo in gallery:for the Globe and Mail
Espanola fire chief Mike Pichor stands in front of one of the towns fire trucks, which is a 1992 model.
GINO DONATO/THE GLOBE AND MAIL
GREG KEENAN AUTO, STEEL AND AIRLINE INDUSTRIES
PUBLISHED JULY 24, 2015
UPDATED MAY 15, 2018
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/tax-shift-companies-dump-burden-of-taxes-on-squeezed-municipalities/article25670719/
#110 dharma bum on 11.12.18 at 10:29 am
Canada’s contribution to the massive wars during the first half of the 20th century is significant.
Had the allies not ultimately won, we would not be here today.
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Indeed. Between my parents and my in-laws, only one individual was born in Canada. Of those foreign born, all came here as a DIRECT result of WW2. Canada’s actions in WW2 were instrumental in specifically choosing Canada as their destination.
There have got to be hundreds of thousands of Canadians my age with the same basic story.
#120 IHCTD9 re: war
“The direct personal connections to the folks who fought and lived it are just about gone today.”
And that’s when the time is ripe for another war.
A must read:
The Fourth Turning
Strauss and Howe
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=the+byrds+turn+turn+turn+lyrics
The world would be a much better place today if the soldiers turned and shot the politicians who initiated the war along with the bankers and capitalist who tried to profit from it.
@#122 Keener
“Please quit trying to lecture us.”
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Like you’re doing?
Another war is coming. Just like a rising Germany challenged the hegemon of its day Great Britain, China is rising to challenge the USA.
To my grandfather – 1/9th Gurkha Rifles who fought in jungles of Malaya and Burma.
Nice piece Garth.
I don’t have a close personal story to share, but someone sent me this which I found very moving (re PTSD):
https://youtu.be/Wq0X0bwMprQ
a song depicting the trials of Canadian Veterans and Veterans everywhere.
TCC
@#115 Best Comment on 11.12.18 at 10:58 am
Read #23 above by Sam because he describes our PM with utter accuracy, and what has happened to our country. Is this what we voted for? The PM sees the first post-national state, and this was created by his agenda alone.
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lol
Let’s also not forget the 500,000 Iraqi children whose deaths secretary of state Madeleine Albright deemed “worth it”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RM0uvgHKZe8
Even though there were no WMDs.
And let’s also not forget about Libya, whose citizens enjoyed the highest GDP per capita of any African nation… Now the country is in shambles, we don’t even have accurate numbers of deaths, but some say in the hundreds of thousands.
Thanks Hillary! “We came, we saw, he died”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqYJRc0TJkQ