We Remember (2016 Repost)
*Repost from last year (and my old blog) in anticipation of this year’s remembrance day*
I can’t believe I actually forgot that it was remembrance day. The irony of that statement is not lost on me, but it definitely wasn’t on my mind with Facebook still carpet bombing my newsfeed with USA election articles, trump apocalypse posts and Obama/Biden memes (those I enjoy).
I’d like to post about my great grandparents who were in WWI and II and perhaps in doing so encourage others to remember the sacrifices their own family members and other country men and women made in service to our great nation and to the world.
I have a fairly extensive military history in my family, and I’d like to honour them. One of my great-grandfathers served as a member of the Canadian “Stormtroopers” in WWI, which became known as the Commonwealth Elite forces, striking fear into enemy German lines. He fought at Vimy ridge in France, which some of you will remember from high school was one of the bloodiest battles of the war as it was one of the most heavily defended German positions. This is also during a pivotal moment in world military history that saw the Canadian forces breaking away from conventional line warfare (huge regiments of infantry firing in synchronized barrages and then charging) and into today’s modern warfare style of squad warfare (coordinated nimble groups of soldiers acting independently) and using creeping barrages (artillery fire that gradually moved deeper as the squads of soldiers followed closely behind using the blasts as cover) to finally take Vimy ridge, which had eluded other allied forces until the Canadians managed to seize it. My great-grandfather lost his leg during the battle but survived, and was decorated for his service.
In WWII my other great-grandfather was a bomber navigator sergeant in the British Airforce bombing over Germany towards the end of the war. As they were flying over Bremen Germany their plane was shot by anti-air flak guns from the German ground forces. The resulting blast left their bomber on fire and the gunner in the back of the plane trapped. My Great-Grandfather however managed to save both the gunner and the plane in an act of heroism that not only earned him a comic devoted to him, but the Victoria Cross, the highest award a member of the British armed forces could attain.
My other great-grandfather was a glassblower who worked on a team responsible for the development of several instruments used in the creation of the atomic bomb, which while perhaps nowadays may not seem as patriotic and honourable, it was seen then as doing the most duty he could do for his country with his unique set of trade skills.
Since then, my family and many others have had markedly less exciting careers, some notable and accomplished, others mundane, but the service these soldiers and so many others (including the women who cared for them or were more actively involved) gave us the freedom and opportunity to do that.
One quote that really rings true here is John Adams, “I must study politics and war that my sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy” — these men and so many others gave their lives or put themselves in harm’s way and were lucky enough to have survived in their service to others. For that I remember their sacrifice and hope to honour their memory with this post.
Canada’s military may be small now but that’s because we invest our money not into machines of war but for machinations of peace such as healthcare and education. Despite this Canadians have always been considered elite soldiers and are some of the best trained in the world. In WWI Canada actually had the 3rd largest Navy in the world, used primarily to defend supply convoys from German u-boat submarines, and Canada had the 4th largest Airforce in the world by the end of WWII — people often overlook the involvement of Canada in these world conflicts because our military worked with other commonwealth countries rather than independently, but these facts are important in remembering the major roles Canada played in these major world conflicts, including D-Day at Juno beach, where the Canadians were again the most successful going deeper into enemy lines than any other landing party. D-day is often misconstrued as a purely American endeavour, but they actually unfortunately bombed themselves by accident (something they don’t often teach in school i would bet) and their navy seals landed on the wrong beach, while the British and Canadian forces had the most successful attacks.
Our brave soldiers are the reason we are able to live in such a great country as Canada, and I’d like to personally thank every veteran and currently serving military person for their service to our country, one of the most honourable fields of duty one can do in service to their country. You have my deepest respect. O’Canada, true north, strong and free.
