This is Veterans’ Week.
On Friday, it will culminate in two minutes of silence at the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month of 2011. And then, for the most part, Canadians will resume what they were doing … two minutes earlier.
The Royal Canadian Legion, the Anavets, and other military/veterans organizations do an amazing job each year – working with schools and community groups – to refresh the message of why Remembrance Day is so important.
They make the point that our democracy and human rights, the rule of law, and our fundamental freedoms are not, in fact, “free”. They are the precious legacy of the skill and courage of earlier generations who were called into mortal combat in precarious times, and were prepared to give their all.
The magnitude of what we owe those brave souls is powerfully driven home when you visit Canadian war cemeteries in places like Vimy Ridge, Juno Beach, Hong Kong and Kapyong. More than 110,000 Canadians laid down their lives on battlefields like these.
And more recently, in peacekeeping missions worldwide and conflicts from Rwanda and the Balkans to Afghanistan and Libya, our Canadian Forces continue a tradition of valour and service in the line of duty.
All those lost will be commemorated on Friday.
Together, we will recite those famous lines: “They shall grow not old, as we who 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.”
But we must do more!
We must make certain that every surviving veteran, old and new, is afforded the respect and the full care, benefits and pensions they require.
And November 11th should be more than just a partial holiday – it should be a true national memorial day with full provincial participation.
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