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Vancouver Off-Topic / Current EventsThe off-topic forum for Vancouver, funnies, non-auto centered discussions, WORK SAFE. While the rules are more relaxed here, there are still rules. Please refer to sticky thread in this forum.
Well tomorrow is another Remembrance day which I personally think is the most important and holiday I'm most thankful for. For my self each each year it has more meaning to me be so thankful for everyone in this country and around the world that gave there lives and everything they had for society being able to move on with freedom and choices we wouldn't of had other wise.
I just want to give thanks everyone's family's here that may be still with us or have passed on for everything they did and gave to make life as we know it. It's a time to be proud of everything that was accomplished and everyone that was brought together. It wasn't about culture, race or religion it's about freedom of being able to walk to the store or even drive to work in the morning and not having to worry. I think people need to sit back and take a look at that sometimes since with this day and age people seem to be to caught up in every day life and don't actually realize the sacrifices that were made.
Thank you everyone past and present that has made this world a better place.
I just read this which made me want to make this post
Quote:
THE VETERAN ON OUR TEN DOLLAR BILL
If you look at the back right-hand side of a Canadian $10 bill, you will see an old veteran standing at attention near the Ottawa war memorial. His name is Robert Metcalfe and he died last month at the age of 90.
That he managed to live to that age is rather remarkable, given what happened in the Second World War. Born in England , he was one of the 400,000 members of the British Expeditionary Force sent to the mainland where they found themselves facing the new German warfare technique - the Blitzkrieg.
He was treating a wounded comrade when he was hit in the legs by shrapnel.
En route to hospital, his ambulance came under fire from a German tank, which then miraculously ceased fire.
Evacuated fromDunkirk on HMS Grenade, two of the sister ships with them were sunk.
Recovered, he was sent to allied campaigns in North Africa and Italy . En route his ship was chased by the German battleship Bismarck .
In North Africa he served under General Montgomery against the Desert Fox, Rommel.
Sent into the Italian campaign, he met his future wife, a lieutenant and physiotherapist in a Canadian hospital. They were married in the morning by the mayor of the Italian town, and again in the afternoon by a British padre.
After the war they settled in Chatham where he went into politics and became the warden (chairman) of the county and on his retirement he and his wife moved to Ottawa . At the age of 80 he wrote a book about his experiences.
One day out of the blue he received a call from a government official asking him to go downtown for a photo op. He wasn't told what the photo was for or why they chose him. 'He had no idea he would be on the bill,' his daughter said.
And now you know the story of the old veteran on the $10 bill.
How about that!!!
How are we disrespecting it? My grandfather fought alongside commonwealth troops in the battle of crete. I'm very appreciative of our soldiers, but I feel like this letter that I read in the province just shows how i feel.
I feel like it just tacky to use remembrance day as a platform of which to start voicing opinions on eroding freedoms and rights. Sure they are happening but i feel the day should be devoted to remembering those who fought and died and not now how their memory is being tarnished by modern politics/policies.
Considering my opa fought alongside the Nazi's in WW2 and my great-opa with the Germans in WW1, it feels weird honouring this holiday (I do, though, don't worry lol).
Regardless of what side of a war you're on, chances are you were either there because you had no choice in the matter or because you wanted to do your part. And no matter the reason, even though we may not remember who you are or what heroics you played on the battlefield, we will remember the sacrifice you made in order to take a stand for your beliefs and desires.
I, for one, will be saluting each and every one of you tomorrow morning.
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this brings to mind the White Poppy Movement that honours lives lost and strives for peace; They feel rememberance day seems to glorify war and only side with the winning side.
Whereas soldiers on both sides were just fighting for their country; just because one side won doesn't make it the right one and it shouldn't villianize someone elses Father or Grandfather because they were fighting for their country. (and no my Grandparents didn't fight for the losing side they fought for Britain and Canada)
imho (and im betting its going to garner a tonne of fails) but its hard to honour ALL soldiers when so many travesties occurred, like the raping of entire cities of women by all forces, but people don't usually like to think about anything like that and they get mad when reality slaps them in the face (id go on and on but i can see how many would feel it being inappropriate so ill hush up now :P )
edit: also these wars werent fought for our freedom, it had nothing to do with freedom (think about it colonies were maintained and forced to fight in these wars the only reason colonies disappeared after the war was because colonialists couldnt maintain them because of being exacerbated by the wars).
and Arguably the wars were for the freedom of some peoples but we gave them freedom by taking it away from others (continuing to do so till this day) i really detest the use of "Freedom" for these wars i feel it takes away from the sacrifices the soldiers made
the only real way to honour their memory and to learn from their sacrifices is to know what was being fought for and why (whether you agree with the what & why is another matter) painting the circumstances with a pretty word such as 'Freedom' takes away from that and only breeds ignorance and allows for history to repeat itself
Whereas soldiers on both sides were just fighting for their country; just because one side won doesn't make it the right one and it shouldn't villianize someone elses Father or Grandfather because they were fighting for their country. (and no my Grandparents didn't fight for the losing side they fought for Britain and Canada)
I respect soldiers from every country. I have friends who's grandfathers fought in WWII on the German side, and I think this day is for them as well. We're not honouring any atrocities that were committed, but to honour the ultimate sacrifice that soldiers make when they join to go fight.
This extends to servicemen who risk their lives to help our country in times of emergency, during forest fires, floods, natural disasters. This also extends to emergency personnel who risk their lives to better our society - Policemen, Firefighters.
I've been to the war graves in France. Rented a car to go to Vimy Ridge, and then on a later trip, to Normandy. You'll find that the graves, they are just rows of headstones/crosses - nothing to divide them into race, religion, age - they all made the ultimate sacrifice.
I've been to the war graves in France. Rented a car to go to Vimy Ridge, and then on a later trip, to Normandy. You'll find that the graves, they are just rows of headstones/crosses - nothing to divide them into race, religion, age - they all made the ultimate sacrifice.
Yup, been there as well a few years back. It's a real humbling experience just standing there and seeing thousands of graves with tombstones marked "Unknown Soldier."
The people who has lost their lives in battle made the ultimate sacrifice, for the sake of a better future, a future without warfare, a future without bloodshed, a future without twisted ideals. This is a prime example that, perhaps, we are not such selfish beings after all, our capacity to act upon greed is as great as our capacity to act upon altruism (selfless concern for the welfare of others). Human progression base not on the advancement of an individual, but the growth as a whole. Given the situation and the circumstance the brave soldiers who fought in, I feel like they had a firm grasp of such concept, and for that, I hope their ideals and wishes lives on until the end of time. Lest we forget.
I just got off the phone with my grandfather.
I call him every rememberance day to thank him for helping us all have the freedom we have today. He flew B25's in WWII and trained many of the pilots that were killed during this conflict. I am very lucky to still be able to see him and talk to him all the time.
I can never thank him enough for what he and many other servicemen have done for Canada.
Have you thanked a veteran today?
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A Veteran is someone who, at one point in their life, wrote a blank cheque payable to Canada for an amount up to, and including, their life. That is beyond honor, and there are way too many people in this country who no longer remember that fact.
The lack of posting in this thread just goes to show how NOT in touch with our history as we should be. With increasing population of immigrant's and the fact that most of our veteran's are no longer with us it is harder and harder for our young people to empathize with something that had no immediate affect on their lives. Most of us who are older have had a relative who fought in a war at some point and even we are growing to careless in our respect of that fact.
Thank you Grampa for your contribution in making our country what it is today. I will never forget.
A Veteran is someone who, at one point in their life, wrote a blank cheque payable to Canada for an amount up to, and including, their life. That is beyond honor, and there are way too many people in this country who no longer remember that fact.
+1
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Sometimes we tend to be in despair when the person we love leaves us, but the truth is, it's not our loss, but theirs, for they left the only person who couldn't give up on them.
Make the effort and take the risk..
"Do what you feel in your heart to be right- for you'll be criticized anyway. You'll be damned if you do, and damned if you don't." - Eleanor Roosevelt
Went to the remembrance day ceremony at Richmond city hall, it was really nice actually. I was glad to see so many people come out to honor those who have fought and fallen for our freedom.
My family lost two young man fighting the Nazis and if it was not for the bravery of our Canadian soldiers and many others from across the world I would most definitely have not been alive today.
One of the soldiers who died in Afghanistan grew up in my neighborhood and I would run into him from time to time at parties etc before he joined up, was the type of guy who would stand up for anyone and wasn't scared of anyone of anything really, knew he would the type to go and serve his country end ended up making the ultimate sacrifice
Even though people may not know fully of, or even disagree with the foreign policies and reasons for being where they are you can never not support the men and women who go to these countries as Berz said completely knowing and willing to to ultimately give their life in the cause to better the world we live in
I understand that as WWII veterans die out coupled with influx of immigrants, it may make remembrance day seem less significant...but let's not forget the Canadians that died in various peacekeeping operations in the 90's and more recently in Afghanistan. Sure, those depolyment may not have the same extent of threat to the Canadian psyche when compared to the "homefront" from German/Japanese invasion...we should still give them the same level of respect.
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