The Generation We Honour On Remembrance Day Set An Example For Us All
Reflections on the day and a nod to the caring of some young people
Remembrance Day, like so many things, was very different this year. I tuned in to watch the national service. Where there would normally be a large parade, bands and thousands of people, a very limited representation was present in order to keep the total in the perimeter of the National War Memorial to 100 people.
Masks were the norm. People were spread out six feet apart. Small contingents of the military marched up to the cenotaph. What was absent was the contingent of our aging veterans, the generation most vulnerable to COVID.
I’ve become used to seeing people, including our leaders, wearing masks. I have to admit, it still does jar me a bit to see people not shaking hands but tapping elbows. It’s good though, it reminds us to avoid physical contact outside our immediate circles.
The Context of The Greatest Generation
When Canada went to war in 1939 we had a population of about 11 million people. Over 1 million responded to the call to serve. Today there are about 22,000 WW2 veterans still living. To add a little more context here, let’s take a moment to think about that era.
