Canadians remember our brave soldiers who have died every November 11th. Americans remember their fallen on the last Monday of May, in what they call Memorial Day.
A year ago at this time I was fortunate enough to be over in Hawaii. I made a point of driving up to the magnificent and sacred Punchbowl National Cemetery to witness the events first hand. Here's a video I put together to commemorate that solemn day:
Here's something I found even more touching:
Related: Inspired by a comment from Fred, here's a video someone put together of Canadian soldiers who were buried at Beny-sur mer in Normandy, France.
Indeed yes, in honour of the great contributions that both the American military and the American spirit of independence, entrepreneurship and freedom have given to the world. On this day, a worthwhile read, as always, is their Declaration of Independence - one of the great documents produced by man.
quite a vid robert, thanks.
Please no one take this the wrong way, But when i see the way the americans remember there war dead i always reflect on our turnouts on the 11th day of the 11th month.
And why in this country we cant make our Remembrance Day a National Day of Mourning & truly honour those that have given all to our country in past, present & future. And to those that have given the Ultimate Sacrifice. We have now been witness to the last WWI Canadian Veteran passing & to the possibly worlds last.
must we be witness to the last WW2 or Korea Vet & now Aphganistan before we honour them properly.
Like i said please no one take it wrong what iam saying & iam sure many a city, town, or village gets reasonble turnouts on the 11th But until we can convince our governments to say A True National Day of Mourning we will only see those that are able to take the time attend services. Its like we are ashamed of them, we cant even sing our National Anthem with pride.
Sorry i apologize for the rant & off topic or to start a debate.
Thanks again robert for the touching vid.
Will Remember Them
Thank you very much for that, Robert. It's a beautiful tribute to the fallen.
Thank you, Robert and Kate
As a Canadian soldier, I'd rather see those people who truly respect and want to be at the memorials and cenotaphs around Canada. Unfortunately, our media and academics have brain-washed our youngsters into thinking that Canada "doesn't do war". But I'm changing that starting with my two sons and their friends. I don't glorify war, but our kids have to know that a country has to stand for something and sometimes it has to fight for those things which we hold dear.
I salute and honour my brothers and sisters in arms of the US. I also grieve with you on this day of remembrance.
favill
I was in Normandy a little while ago.
If you ever get there, go to the cemetery at Beny sur Mer. I went mid week, it was deserted and quiet, a very haunting, and moving experience.
We owe so much to these soldiers.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%C3%A9ny-sur-Mer_Canadian_War_Cemetery
We had the opportunity to visit Arlington National Cemetary a couple of years ago and we went to see the guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns. Unbelievable! Somber and magnificent! It should be a required visit for all.
Canadians don't seem to respect those that have given all for our freedoms to such a degree, but our sacrifices are at least equal.
Have a great day to all in the US!
As a Canadian vet, I salute,commend,and honour our American brothers and sisters who have made the Ultimate Sacrifice for us. An American brother-in-arms was best man at my wedding,and his wife was maid of honour.
favill...I hear you and where you are coming from.
I wonder if we could start a North American Day of Honour for our fallen?
@ET
"On this day, a worthwhile read, as always, is their Declaration of Independence - one of the great documents produced by man"
MAY I ADD , and inspired by god's good will?
Please and thank you
America is truley blessed they have just forgotten what it means to be blessed these last three decades.
"I wonder if we could start a North American Day of Honour for our fallen?" Justthinkin
That's a great idea.
" Unfortunately, our media and academics have brain-washed our youngsters into thinking that Canada "doesn't do war". favill
Yup. That's the radical agenda - to destroy a good people's justifiable pride in their armed forces achievements in service to their good society. How many truly know the importance of the Canadian forces' victory over the German divisions at Juno Beach? Or that the Canadian navy was the 4th largest in the world at the end of WWII? Much better, in their view, to convince the people that they must kowtow to the criminal regime known as the UN.
I agree that a greater participation at our Nov 11th rememberances would be nice. Since our more recent involvment in wars like Bosnia and Afghanistan, I've noticed more parents with young children participating. I hope that this continues and grows.
It has to grow within the homes of our nation as it sadly won't in our leftard-run schools and universities.
As a Canadian vet, I also thank and salute the the American fallen.
Thanks for the videos Robert. Especially the second one, as it showed that despite the efforts of some to denigrate the military, some people still appreciate and thank a soldier.
My wife and I visited Punchbowl in March and it was a moving and sobering experience. It was a beautiful quiet day. I also read every name on the roll in the USS Arizona Memorial.
Freedom is sometimes bought dearly.
Non Nobis Sed Patriae
Oh my gosh...Beautiful...thank you...
That music can only come from someplace holy...
Our family applauds those who gave completely.
Candians are just more stoic than Americans. More close mouthed. Make no mistake Most canucks care about our military. We wouldent have a Country without them.
The same with America only they wear thier feelings in the open. More so because they know the National narrative of how they became a Republic.
Most Canadians have no idea Canada only became its own Master when our army in WW1 when they mutined against English domination of our soldiers. They refused to fight under british officers who where reckless with Canadian lives.
"Canadians remember our brave soldiers who have died every November 11th."
And the ones who died on all the other days, as well.
No, the people who point out that the Canadian bien pensants say Canada "doesn't do war" are right, and that's nonsense, just like it's nonsense that the hippy scum throw military recruiters off of campuses. Increasingly, I am convinced that the hard left is really evil; what is brave and good they insult and denigrate.
God bless America.
(Rev. @3:30 - do you have any links for that? I'm not trying to be hostile, but if the "british officers" were "reckless with Canadian lives", they were no less so with British ones. I'm just curious.)
The push for re-branding the military as "peacekeepers" was a direct result of the Somalia incident. It was initiated by the government, and fully supported by the military. To blame it on "media and academics" is just ignorant.
Oh b.s. Alex. That was in 1993. I've been hearing "Canadians are nice. We care about peace, not war" my whole life. It exemplifies everything that's sick and deceptive and self-loathing and lefty about Official Canadian Culture. Say something respectful about Memorial Day or sod off.
Stop trolling.
Today I drop to my knees and pray to God and give thanks for all the men and women from the USA, Canada and the other free nations who served, have served, and especially those who have died while doing so. My father was a WW2 vet serving in the Philippines with the special opps, my mother as a nurse who treated one of the first English casualties at the battle of the bulge: both departed...
Today a group of about 100 of us walked about 6 miles in the rain for our wounded solders in support of them and I plan to continue to support them with my prayers, moral support and funds.
Great video Robert, thanks...
Thanks for the video Robert.
Having moved to the U.S. side from Canada I can see that everyone in this country is affected by the military in some way or another. I can think of 6 people at my place of business that I deal directly with every day that have served in the military. Because of its size, there is someone in every family that is serving at one time or another. My wife's cousin for example is in Afghanistan and has been to Iraq. Although not everyone serves, many more are affected than In Canada.
Spent the day in the Cemetary with my bagpipes today. Many folks there who came to remember their Veterans and fallen heros. God bless all of them.
Black Mamba to a maroon, “Say something respectful about Memorial Day or sod off”: my sentiments exactly.
When my husband and I visited Arlington Cemetery one hot summer’s day, we were awed by the sense of gratitude to America’s fallen heroes. The beauty, quiet, and reverence of the place—the colour ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknowns was appropriately extravagant and dignified—was an “outward and visible sign” of the respect due to those who paid the ultimate price to uphold our freedoms—which are not free. The Americans do it right.
God bless America!
CanuckInMI, BRAVO!
(Bagpipes: sigh!)
CanuckInMI, BRAVO!
(Bagpipes: sigh!)
"(Rev. @3:30 - do you have any links for that? I'm not trying to be hostile, but if the "british officers" were "reckless with Canadian lives", they were no less so with British ones. I'm just curious.)"
It's not for nothing that British soldiers were called "lions led by donkeys". Even by the time of the Somme in 1916, the new British mass army of war enlistees and draftees were trained to *walk* at a fixed, steady pace towards the enemy lines. What the British "donkey" generals thought was that this would keep the troops "in good order", whereas it actually just lengthened the period of time from when they left their trenches, when they were targets for the German machine guns and artillery.
Give me a break! My first of the above, double post got caught because I'd, apparently, posted too often recently. So, I tried again—and both posts went up.
This new intervention seems to INCREASE posts rather than decrease them. Unintended consequences?
STFU Alex, Canada as "peacekeepers" goes back to Pearson's day, once again the phony "soldier" Alex shows he don't know jacks**t about Canada's military.
I've worked with American troops back in the day, always a fun bunch, of course more exuberant than us frozen Canucks when it comes to displays of patriotism. But that's us...we just get the job done, leave it at that...and have a beer:)
"STFU Alex, Canada as "peacekeepers" goes back to Pearson's day"
No, it goes back to 1137 when a regiment from Ontario stopped the Great Battle Of Lower New York. Ever since then those damn liberal judges and leftist joournalists and academics and dem eeeelitsts have been pushing this myth on us good god-fearing canuckians! For shame!
Maybe we don't do Remembrance Day the way the Americans do, but we DO have the 'Highway of Heroes'. US servicemen and servicewomen who die abroad come home very quietly, with no public recognition.
The 'Highway of Heroes'.......
US MSM types came up to do a documentary on that...some of my old comrades at arms down there were truly impressed.....and one commented that this seemed sort of out of step with what he had experienced.
I invited him up for our Nov 11th...and God love 'em...Woodstock, Ontario had him nearly in tears.
Our local Harvard buffs do a real professional "missing man" fly over....on time and on target.....nice touch.
Yeah...Viet Nam era types can still feel a little bitterness...
too little...too late....
Black Mamba
Nope my Uncle told me this . He was in the whole war. We almost won it but at Vimy ridge(the war I mean) but British & Canadian Generals where shocked at the win they never prepared for. No supply lines or follow up. The war could have ended right there. Which Uncle Bob told me was the start of disgruntlement with what was being slowly precived as foreign interferance. Your correct British officers where fighting the last war . That the machine gun made obsolete. Its why the causulties where so high. What made the difference was Canadians learned a few tricks from the indians here, who snuck behind the flanks to take out the gunners.
This dosent hold the nitty gritty but it gives you the idea of what went on.
British casulties where appaling by generals with no brains. Frankly its what lead eventualy to Englands spiral down word. WW2 was just the cork in the wine of an empire dying. Canada stayed in the war but lost over 60,000 men. Compared to the slaughter of the British was small. It did make our reputation though. After that Canadians ran their own army.
http://www.linksnorth.com/canada-history/canadaandworldwar1.html
I went to the USA military cemetary in Manilla years ago. I am Canadian. On a hill in the cemetary there are hugh slabs of upright granite with names of servicemen inscribed. It is a natural reaction to look for your family name as they are in alphabetical order. I was shocked to see my family name with a middle name of my grandfather. We had lost touch with my grandfather's family in Tacoma, Wa. Obviously they had remeber him as their son carried his middle name. He enlisted in SanFran because he was to young and had been turned back in Tacoma.
Another quick point to the poster who commented about truly honouring our vets. The Legion cermonies on Nov.11th are poignant but receive almost cursory interest today. When we toured through NZ we were absolutely awestruck by the honours each small town had for their vets. Without fail each small town had an elaborate showcase. Usually a cenotaph woth grounds and many times a museum. It truly puts Canada to shame.
As a 'boomer' I realize that I have little real knowledge about the sacrifices made, no matter how much I read. All I can do is say 'Thankyou and God Bless'.