On this Novermber 11 so many years after the great wars, Doug Chisholm helps us remember.
He’s logged thousands of hours over northern Saskatchewan in his 1954 model Cessna 180, lately undertaking a special, solitary tribute to this province’s fallen servicemen of the Second World War.
Born in Scotland but raised in Canada, Doug received his commercial pilot’s licence from the Regina Flying Club in 1976. He headed north that year to La Ronge and a job as an air maintenance engineer (AME) at the provincial government’s waterbomber base there. He acquired a 1954 model Cessna 180 the next year and since then has logged 4,000 hours in it, 2,500 of them on floats and 800 on skis.
But all that consumes plenty o’ fuel and money. So, a few years ago, he got to thinking, “maybe I’ll start taking some pictures.” By coincidence, it was in 1997 that he got a call from a friend in Regina with a proposition: could Doug take some photographs of a certain lake in the north?
The request had came from a woman. Many years before, an island in the province’s north had been named for her brother, killed in action during the Second World War.
From this landmark, called Sauter Island, Doug even gathered some rocks and sand, then sent them, with the film, to the woman.
He also began to wonder about her request. How many of the other lakes on the maps of northern Saskatchewan also had been named for Saskatchewan�s war dead? He called the province�s central mapping office, which sent him a list.
When it arrived, “I couldn�t believe it — there were over 3,800 names on it, telling the name and the rank and the regimental number”.
What that list didn�t tell was anything about the hometown of the casualty or anything else about the personal history of the deceased. “You’d think there’d be a computer with all that on it, but there wasn’t.”
Over time, Doug pieced together this picture: during the Second World War, about 91,000 of the estimated 840,000 people in Saskatchewan had enlisted in Canada’s armed services. Of those 91,000, 3,800 didn’t return.
These casualties included about 1,800 members of the RCAF, 1,800 members of the Canadian Army and 150 from the Royal Canadian Navy. Put another way, Saskatchewan (with about six per cent of the country�s population, had sustained fully 10 per cent of the nation’s war dead.) This was an terrible human toll that had even more impact in the years after the war’s end. It was in those years that the provincial government’s mapping branch, headed by engineer Abe Bereskin (himself a Canadian Army veteran of the Second World War), began a policy of naming northern geographic feature for the province’s war dead.
Chisholm has a new book out, co-authored with “Saskatchewan place names” guy, Bill Barry, and Beth Parson – Age Shall Not Weary Them: Saskatchewan Remembers its War Dead.Details here.
Related:
Not all countries show the same respect for their veterans – nor are all Canadian veterans considered equal.
Cjunk remembers those who returned.
George W.Bush delivers a much needed rebuke to the revisionist historians working hard to undermine the current war on Islamist extremism.
“The stakes in the global war on terror are too high and the national interest is too important for politicians to throw out false charges.”
It’s about time. Full text here).
Idealistic Pragmatist questions her reasons for wearing the poppy. I have her answer – it’s not about you.
I invite others to share their own, in the comments or by trackback.
As seen at Vimy
The short list:
World War I: Leonard Eldridge Jerrom May 07, 1917, Edwin Fidler August 12, 1916, Henry George Fidler August 15, 1917, William Henry Fidler September 6, 1918…
World War II: Charles G. Munro July 25, 2002, George A. Munro Febru…
According to British historian Max Hastings in his book Armageddon:
“Throughout the campaign, the Canadian Army sufered even more acutely than the British from a shortage of men. Because many French-Canadians bitterly opposed participation in “England’s war,” Canada’s prime minister Mackenzie King decreed in 1940 that only volunteers would be sent overseas, and that even these men would fight only in Europe. As a consequence, by 1944 some 70,000 fit Canadian soldiers- the “zombies” as they were known- remained at home, doing nothing more useful than guarding prisoners of war. “We had five divisions, or the equivalent, of trained men sitting back there in Canada,” lamented a Canadian officer bitterly, “and that s.o.b. Mackenzie King just wouldn’t send them overseas.” At the very end of the war, when 15,000 non-volunteers were drafted for overseas services, more than three-quarters of them deserted before embarkation.” (p. 134-135)
This speaks volumes of the courage and dedication of those who did serve in Europe, where Canadian soldiers took higher casualties than the other allied armies. God bless the Canadian soldier, and thank you for your service.
Amen, Kate.
Lest we forget.
Need an uplift on this 11th day of the 11th month?
Check this bright spot:
http://Strongworld.blogspot.com
TG
I very much enjoy your website. I find myself visiting it nearly every day lately.
Cjunk’s article was excellent also.
Thank you.
Speaking of uplift: “Ottawa considers aircraft purchase”
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20051111/MILITARY11/TPFront/TopStories
Let’s just hope Bombardier et al. don’t muck this up, along with the Conservatives, Industry Canada and the regional development ministries.
The Air Force desperately needs–and fast–the C-130J, the CH-47D, and the C-27J (preferably) or the C-295.
One especially hopes that the Conservative Party does not continue insinuating–as their defence critic Gordon O’Connor already has–that a rapid purchase would leave the way open for corruption along the lines of Adscam. The seemingly endless normal procurement process for major military equipment simply will not do this time, especially when it is quite clear which types of aircraft are needed.
These planes would genuinely recognize our veterans and military.
Mark
Ottawa
Kate, again thank you. You have shown what true rememberence of our veterans, regardless of country of birth, can be. It saddens me every year to see the lack of thanks and memory that most americans show on the 11th. Particulary in comparrisson to the British and Canadians. I too wear a poppy, and it is not just for the Americans, but all allies, from all wars. Thank you.
as always CBCpravda has reported the democrats response rather than the actual story.
can no on rid of this national scourge?
VETERANS DAY, REMEMBRANCE DAY
A day to remember. Here are a few select links to quality blogs: Juliette Ochieng, who takes the opportunity to draw your attention to a very worthwhile charity; Hootsbuddy’s Place; Kate McMillan; Tim Worstall; and Donald Sensing. And of course…
No matter if they are Canadian or American or British, if they served democracy, they ARE our mutual heroes!
Mark is right – you Canucks need to spend more on defense. Seriously. It’s pitiful how your heroes in Afghanistan are so under-equipped while corruption runs amok in your nation’s capital (IF Gomery is to be believed).
Thanks for the posting. Saskatchewan vets have clearly done more than their share of the heavy lifting.
I served as a Naval aviator during the Reagan era in the American carrier air anti-submarine forces. Our land-based Canadian counterparts were extraordinarily skilled professionals. Under-equipped, but extraordinarily skilled. A squadron mate ended up doing an exchange tour with a Canadian squadron. He loved it, married a Canadian, and still lives in Toronto.
Name: SAUTER, ERNEST
Initials: E R
Nationality: Canadian
Rank: Private
Regiment: South Saskatchewan Regiment, R.C.I.C.
Date of Death: 19/10/1942
Service No: L/13794
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: 33. D. 9.
Cemetery: Brookwood Military Cemetery
http://www.rapp.org/url/?GZZEAW1S
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Another excellent post. Thanks also to Mystery Meat – I have added Max Hastings’ ‘Armageddon’ to my list of books to read.
Idealistic Pragmatist should wear that poppy as a small token of thanks to all those that did serve for her right to post her Blog in English vice German, Japanese or Russian
I can’t believe all the people who are not wearing poppies today…since nov 1 it seems that maybe one in ten people I have noticed wearing a poppy.Young ,old,ethnic ,it seems to me that the average Canadian doesn’t seem to care about anything .Maybe I should have waited a day or two to post this comment but it feels apropriate.I havn’t personally had the chance to thank a vet this year so the poppy becomes a beacon of my gratitude and rememberance.I bought one when I was in line renewing my plates.No One else there bothered…couldn’t be bothered to vote,buy a poppy,etc.But you can be damn sure they would stand in line for an hour for a double double at Tim’s…thankyou vets,sorry we dropped the ball.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml;jsessionid=1NBYIMDZBWT3XQFIQMFSFGGAVCBQ0IV0?xml=/arts/2005/11/11/ftpoppy11.xml
A more complete history of the poppy can be found at the UK Telegraph–above. It was an American who started it, who knew? Not the Idealistic Pragmatist, I bet.
My President’s speech.
Well-said, probably tried to cover too much with too much but nobody can say any more he is dumb, he is inarticulate and/or he is ignorant.
I didn’t vote for him in 2004 and to some extent, especially noting a certain Mr. and Mrs. Edwards’ conduct (like this Mrs. Edwards sending me and many others an e-mail urging another Presidential meeting w/ Cindy Sheehan) since the verdict of the people to give President Bush a mandate.
Is he as comprehensive as the Kerry-Edwards plan on terrorism said in words (not perception by righties) it would be? No.
Is President Bush winning the war on Islamofacism? Absolutely.
One of those moments when the “Preview” button gains new value – I need to extend and revise in italics the below:
My President’s speech.
Well-said, probably tried to cover too much with too much but nobody can say any more he is dumb, he is inarticulate and/or he is ignorant.
I didn’t vote for him in 2004 and to some extent, especially noting a certain Mr. and Mrs. Edwards’ conduct (like this Mrs. Edwards sending me and many others an e-mail urging another Presidential meeting w/ Cindy Sheehan) since the verdict of the people to give President Bush a mandate, I have some regrets.
Is he as comprehensive as the Kerry-Edwards plan on terrorism said in words (not perception by righties) it would be? No.
Is President Bush winning the war on Islamofacism? Absolutely.
On a day of Remembrance, why bring up Bush?
He is no Churchill or King or Roosevelt.
In his speech he said:
“On Iraq, a new high — 55 percent — say the Bush administration intentionally misled the American public in making its case for war, up 12 points from last spring. Sixty percent say the war was not worth fighting, up seven points just since August to another high.”
He’s a liar. American’s know that now. He lied about the war. And whether he did or not, the war is indefensive. What a despicable man. Why are so many americans unpatriotic now? It is Bush’s last refuge to question their patriotism after they voted him in twice believing only he could keep him safe. What a disaster.
Sgt. Hugh Cairns, V.C., D.C.M.
http://members.shaw.ca/flyingaces/cairns/
One of the many who didn’t return to Saskatchewan after the Great War.
First time, long time as they say on talk radio.
I thought your comment on idealistic pragmatist’s post on rememberance day very appropriate. Too often, today’s opinions are reflexively – and fashionably – anti-war. And the selfish focus on how this affects “me” permeates our society. This is a day to remember and honour sacrifice by ordinary Canadians in the cause of justice not for pitiful musings on how “I” fit in.
I didn’t mean to say that Bush was talking about polls in his speech today. Josef is so right about “preview”.
But I wish he hadn’t used Veterans Day in the US as an attempt to rebuild his own credibility by tearing down those who seek the truth about the clear manipulation of intelligence in the run-up to the Iraq war. What a hypocrite to say that he gave us the same intelligence as he had. He is just so completely full of shit. We only the had the bits that made their case, not the bits which took away from it.
Steve:
Frickin’ grow up for God sakes. Whether or not the intelligence on Iraq was right or manipulated doesn’t have to be discussed here. Soldiers do not make policy, they carry out their orders and lay their life on the line so you may have the freedom to spout off. Think about it. It ain’t about you Period!
Do yourself a favour and talk to a vet, a real one, not a john Kerry wanna be. The truth is out there and it isn’t about trying to dictate foreign policy but doing your duty to your country and fellow man.
I for one will not forget.
The Mcgrane Branch of the Legion, in Lac La Biche Alberta is completing a beautiful project to remember those who died during military actions, mainly WWII.
For 5 or so years, the branch had a committee that erected 5 foot tall exposed concrete cairns on the shores of certain lakes in the region, lakes which are named after servicemen who made the supreme sacrifice.
Lakes such as Mathews, Dobbs, and others now have a physical monument with plaques describing the man and his final days. Out of 17 or so proposed, 15 of these cairns have been completed. Some are quite inaccessable, materials helicoptered in with help from CFB COLD Lake. Others are less than an hours drive from downtown. One in fact takes 15 minutes to reach.
For more information contact the McGrane Branch 28
Memorial cairns:
Royal Canadian Legion
McGrane Branch #28
Box 114
Lac La Biche,AB
T0A-2C0
780-623-4434
FAX 623-4353
Open Wednesdays-Sat
4:00 pm-9-12:00pm
Rob, don’t worry about so many people not wearing poppys. Mine dissapeared tody. No one around selling them either. The bent pin has to be modernized to something that keeps the poppy attached.
The poppy on my blue jacket is still there because I safety pinned it, I wore the black leather today and the poppy is not in the car, so … these things happen.
Pressure sensitive backing for the poppy may be the way to go. Like the Val tag on your license plate. That would last longer than a straight pin. TG
And in this ‘spirit of remembrance’- Renee Filiatrault, (spokesflake for Defense Minister Bill Graham), announces in today’s Toronto Sun Newspaper- that the government is committed to rectifying any cases where our War Vets were ‘misclassified’, ( forgot to complete their paperwork), and were denied their military pensions. But: “Details of the course of action have yet to have been finalized.” Duh? (Perhaps the Glibs are waiting for them all to die off of old age?)
The disgrace of the Zombie episode is that while they were sitting at home in Canada, the infantry units were pressed into using cooks and orderlies as front line soldiers. They weren’t properly trained as fighting men and suffered higher casualties as a result.
Most of that has been sanitised out of our history books.
How many more men died in France because the quebecois didn’t want to fight in the ‘English’ war?
Kate,
As an occasional commenter, I just wanted to say thank you.
My wifes uncle is one of those 3,800 who gave his life that we might enjoy ours.
Walsh Lake, named after Patrick Walsh of Kamsack,SK.
On a day such as today, words do not justice to the debt to be repaid.
Thanks to all and God Bless
What a strange place:
The politicians always have a fleet of new Challenger jets at the ready and Canada’s air force flies yesterday’s airplanes today, and tomorrow, and tomorrow…
Pettigrew and his squeeze Bruno jet off to gay Paree to sip espresso and vino and eighty year old vets stay in drafty barracks so they can participate in Remembrance Day in Ottawa.
The lads from Saskatchewan who made the ultimate sacrifice get a rock named after them and Trudeau, that great patriot, gets a whole mountain.
Texas:
My father was a Vet and I grew up in the army camps with Vets.
Today was a day to honour my Dad.
I thought it was not the best day for Bush to use these events.
Not today, maybe tomorrow or any other day.
Well, you see Steve, I disagree.
Had Democrats of the 1940’s expended the vitriol and false accusations against those who had the resolve to finish the job during WW2 that current “critics” of George Bush have over Afghanistan and Iraq – our side very well could have lost.
That is why his words are not just compatable with Veterans Day, they are necessary.
That is not exaggeration – for these same people quite handily “lost” the Vietnam War using the same tactics. Having scored that disgraceful “victory” over their own country, they are determined to do it again.
Kate, you are full of it.
Why is Bush spending so much on a dead horse fuel?
Biodiesel is the future. It is cheap to produce because it produces itself. You can directly burn vegetable oils in a diesel engine and produce all the power you want via an alternater
off the engine.
You can also steam out the glycerin content and use it during cold weather.
“Doubting Thomas” refers to Mount Logan, the re-naming of which to Mount Trudeau was proposed by Chretien. This did not go ahead. The vigilance of some Canadians stopped this revisionist act by Chretien $ the Librano$$$$. After all, Trudeau was only 5’8″ high.
http://www.canadianculture.com/newsletter/2001/28.html
I think people who support the war in Iraq are unluckily stuck with Bush.
The news media and the antiwar movement didn’t lose the Vietnam war. The armed forces contributed to their own defeat in Vietnam
by fighting the war they wanted to fight rather than the one at hand.
And the Iraq War would be just like WWII if:
FDR had told us the Germans and Japanese would surrender upon our arrival and greet us with flowers.
If FDR had thrown a party declaring, “Mission Accomplished,” in May of 1942 after the battle of Coral Sea.
If we had been led to war to counter Hitler�s invasion of Poland, France, and the rest of Europe only to show up on the Champs-Elysee to find the French sipping coffee, asking us which invasion we were talking about.
If during WWII we had responded to the attack of Pearl Harbor by invading Chile.
If FDR had told the nation in 1942, “I�ll have your kids home by fall.”
If we had supplied the Japanese with their Zeroes and trained them in the art of being Kamikazes, fully funded by US taxpayer dollars � as we did with Osama.
Most fully and accurately, the Iraq War would be similar to WWII if�
�we had given Chile U-boats and then said we were invading Chile because they possessed U-boats and, of course, because Japan attacked us.
THE LIE: There is some similarity between the current Iraq War and World War II
Colin Newland writes,
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml;jsessionid=1NBYIMDZBWT3XQFIQMFSFGGAVCBQ0IV0?xml=/arts/2005/11/11/ftpoppy11.xml
A more complete history of the poppy can be found at the UK Telegraph–above. It was an American who started it, who knew? Not the Idealistic Pragmatist, I bet.
Doesn’t that link belong more properly in the comments on Idealistic Pragmatist’s blog? She doesn’t seem so much willfully disrespectful as ignorant. Would you show public support for an equally rich and historic symbol in an adopted country without fully understanding it? Zip, Collin and Gerry should post commments on Idealist Pragmatist’s blog gently explaining to her what the poppy means to them and sheding any light they can on the origins of the symbol.
I, for one, would not have anyone wear a poppy out of simple conformity, that is, without understanding for themselves it’s full meaning.
Maz2, thank you for the clarification. You are right, the renaming did not got through, but the intention was there, big and clear. Yesterday was an occasion for remembering heroes that went away forever like my uncle Robert Faust, not for Cindy Sheehans such as Steve to make their own points. It was also not for turning one’s back on a separatiste GG, thus tainting the remembrance of fallen comrades; better to have boycotted anything the GG attended and found a ceremony put on by a smaller post.
Kate, you are not full of it, Steve is.
Is Saskatchewan ready to give up natural resource revenue for biodiesel?
With the price of fuel and crop inputs going through the roof again farmers are forced to produce their own energy source and also forced to use Petro-Chemical products due to shear cost alone.
These means a complete organic crop rotation. Co-operatives formed with community can set up a press. Bioriginal in Saskatoon would have access to a press for each municipality.
Any vegetable seed product can be used by best to use flax oil for its cold temperature endurance via alpha-linolenic acid.
You grow how ever much you want to burn.
Milligan-Biotech in Foam Lake is developing a system. I do not know if this is mixed with any Petrochemical diesel because that really defeats the purpose of keeping the costs down.
High efficiency presses can be used without need for temperature control vs. food consumption health oils like olive.
This results in fresh fuel quickly and no health concerns, none.
N FLANDERS FIELDS the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; …
By: Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918)
Canadian Army.
Semper Fidelis.
Zimbabwe — Cathy Buckle — Crumpled poppies
Letters written by Cathy Buckle ^ | 2005-11-12 | Cathy Buckle
Posted on 11/12/2005 3:27:28 PM PST by Clive
Dear Family and Friends,
Wearing a little red paper poppy on my shirt this second week of November has been something I’ve done ever since I can remember. I was disappointed this Friday to see just a dozen or so scrappy paper poppies lying in the bottom of the cardboard box two days before Armistice Sunday. At first I thought that this international day of remembrance must have become the latest casualty in Zimbabwe’s determination to cut itself off from the rest of the world.
I was wrong. The reason there are no poppies this year is because 20,000 little red paper flowers sent from the UK have been impounded by Zimbabwe’s department of customs. Apparently even scraps of red paper used for charitable purposes and to remember the end of World War One, are not exempt from our government’s desperate attempts to raise money. Customs want 53 million dollars to release the poppies and so, those of us lucky enough to find them, are wearing crumpled poppies left over from last year and I wear my tatty one with outrage but also with pride.
It has been altogether a very shocking week in Zimbabwe and trying to keep track of the events has been very difficult due to almost no coverage by state media. ZBC TV, whose motto is “When it happens we will be there, ” have obviously been in other places this week but even so, bit by bit, one way or another, the real news does eventually get out.
This week the MDC Mayor of Chitungwiza was detained by police.
Six University of Zimbabwe student leaders were arrested for trying to embark on a demonstration about deplorable conditions on campus.
Tuesday’s country wide demonstrations by the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions and the National Constitutional Assembly left all their combined leaders arrested and between 120 and 200 others who had been brave enough to take to the streets with them. >>>> more
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1520965/posts
steve;
You drive me nuts.
Kate;
Well-said. Today, on the continuing parade of oppositionism, goes John Edwards.
Frankly, if I were Canadian PM, I’d send troops into Iraq. And I’d tell the French these riots are one more reason Quebecers are better off in the Canadian Confederacy.
Steve–your the only sane blogger on here.