Thank you.......

I have too much going on to put together the post I intended to mark this grave day. Instead I offer those who have offered up their very lives in the protection of others my sincerest thanks. And last year's words for those that missed them. If you were hanging around last year please take a moment and read through anyway as it will remind us of all that was lost so that we could have so much. The sacrifices you have made will never be forgotten by me. Thankfully it lands on a weekend this year so I need to get some rest In order to attend the services at the cenotaph in yesterday's picture.

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In a time when people would think hard of stopping to help someone change a flat tire, or turn a blind eye when they see someone else getting mugged or harassed we take time to remember those that thought not of themselves, but of everybody else. Generations of people who cared so much for their fellow man that they were willing to give their very lives to right a wrong. They were our grandparents, great grandparents and in some cases maybe even our parents. They didn't care what country they were defending nor did they worry about what might happen to themselves as they defended these strangers. They asked for nothing in return and abandoned family and friends to take the fight to the enemy. As time moves on and accomplishes the task that the wars could not, we will slowly lose the gifts of the veterans themselves. Make sure you try to remember what they did and what they represented tot eh world at large. If we took a little time and effort to care about each other as they cared for everyone, would that really be so bad?

If you are fortunate enough to meet a veteran today (Or any day for that matter) you should take the time to talk to them. These brave souls are the backbone of the world we know and once they are gone, will we ever really be the same again?

Thank you for all that your gave and all that you lost. With a father from Britain and in laws from Germany and Holland, my family would never exist without your brave actions. I can't thank you enough, but I can try.........

Canada at War

During the First World War, (1914-1918) more than 600,000 Canadian soldiers volunteered to go overseas. As of November 2004, Veterans Affairs Canada is aware of 8 veterans of the First World War who are still alive. One is a woman. Their average age is 103. By the end of this war, more than 69,000 Canadian soldiers had died and 172,000 were wounded. They fought at Vimy Ridge, Hill 70, Bourlon Wood, Mons, Passchendaele and Ypres (it is here that Canadian soldiers were hit with German gas attacks, yet continued to fight).

During the Second World War, (1939-45) more than one million men and women from Canada fought in the army, air force and navy. More than 47,000 men and women did not come home from that battle. Canadians lost their lives fighting in Dieppe, Normandy, the North Atlantic, defending Hong Kong, during the liberation of Italy, and in many other important air, sea and land campaigns. As of November 2004, 268,110 veterans from this world war were alive, with an average age of 82.

The Korean war saw 516 Canadian soldiers die during the three years war where 26,791 Canadians served. The battles of Hills 355 and 187 saw out troops fight in swamps and rice fields, through torrential rain and snow, in the air and at sea.