Iron Harvest in France

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_harvest

Don't thank a journalist for our right to free speech - thank a soldier !!

The Lancaster bomber flew over Hamilton and Toronto area for Rememberance services this morning. The mere sound of those four engines brings tears to eyes of many veterans and others. Very memorable.

Outstanding, Kate.

To those who think it's time for Remembrance Day to be more about other wars, not so much about WW I (a letter from an old-timer in yesterday's G&M)--this video is witness to what we must never forget. When Remembrance Day was started, they actually knew that one day, people would actually forget the tremendous sacrifices made.

Thanks Kate.

Outstanding Kate.

Thanks for posting this.

Thank you 'Kate'.

Thank you Kate
Lest we forget.

Thanks Kate

COULD NOT WATCH THE WHOLE THING TOO MANY TEARS

Thanks,Kate.

Just watched the old guys marching past the reviewing stand in Ottawa and it brought some tears, as I know some more of us will join them soon. Some could hardly walk, but they made the effort.

Then I smiled when the little naval type gaffers tried so hard to march in step.

Thanks so much, Kate. Very fitting. Being from NL, hearing the Fureys added a special touch.

God bless and keep those who have gone on before us. May all our Forces stand blessed today.

Time to dry the eyes...

Today is not even observed as a holiday in parts of Canada. Many people got up and went to work today. The Toronto Stock Exchange is open and operating today with no one minute or two minute observance of Remembrance Day.
http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=^GSPTSE

Shame!

I salute all parents who took their children out of school today to stand in the chilly November breeze at cenotaphs and military cemetaries for Remembrance Day services. Kudos to the teachers who had their entire middle school class out to the ceremony at Fort York.

Was that a Gypsy Moth that flew overhead?

I attended the local cenotaph today....
Overnight some local "progressive" elements had sprayed a swastika upon it.
Even Adolph and the Nazi's had more respect.
In 1940, when the Wehrmacht was over-running France, a Waffen SS unit sped ahead to secure and guard the Vimy Memorial....by personal orders of the Fuhrer.

IMHO, a more fitting tribute.
Canadian Forces and RCMP Tribute, I Vow To Thee My Country:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9PR5Lg2LrI

Idiot Toronto Mayor gave me a good laugh today - he said something along the lines of

When I look at the faces in the crowd here today I see the face of Toronto

Only problem is that the Remembrance Day ceremonies at Old City Hall in Toronto are fairly white affairs. They most certainly do not resemble what you'd see on the streets any other day.

every Remembrance Day i reaffirm my personal oath to 'take up our quarrel with the foe'....

btw the 'torch' has landed in the hands of many capable people...the least of whom is not small dead animals.

ready aye ready.

BOB @ 12:45, I'm bawling like a baby.

One of my Great Uncles was killed in WWI in the battle of Ypres.He was killed on his birthday right after he had remarked to his chum "Wouldn't it be funny if a fella got killed on his birthday?" He was shot seconds later; we know this because his chum came home from the war and told my uncle's family about it.

It was my Uncle Alex's 23rd birthday, and like so many other fine, young men who died in that war, he is forever frozen in time at age 21 (last photo). He did not grow old as his 12 brothers and sisters did, thus his legend grew over the years with us young people of each generation because he stayed young and we could identify with him more than with the old folks who were his peers. He did not come home with mangled limbs or shattered nerves; he remained in memory the crack shot and outstanding (but wild!) horseman he had been before he went to war; he had once shot his initials into a rock with those of his sweetheart...with a rifle, from his horse while the horse was moving (there were witnesses!) before he went to Europe. His sweetheart never married and his photo stayed on her piano all her life.

Uncle Alex was always mentioned when any young man in our family did anything worthwhile; 'Reminds me of Alex' was the highest compliment that could be awarded. Of course, he was probably bigger in legend than he was in life but he makes all of us glow with pride still and his daring and courage and have inspired 3 generations of fine men and women. I have his WWI photo on my shelf, with those men and women of my family who fought in WWII and Afghanistan.

I think Uncle Alex would not have questioned his choice to adventure off to war to 'put the bullies in their places'; he was a tough man, already well trained (by his Dad) before he ever joined up; who knew how to survive. His chum who told us of his death said that the two of them always had coffee and cigarettes and dry socks; and they shared their goods and know how with other soldiers that they met who were city boys.

My uncles chum, who came home, always kept a dozen cats in his house because of his hatred for rats.

The D-Day Dodgers of the Italian Front:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SE5Cgvc3JqU
[classy version]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXl_xzqIRgk&feature=related
[profane, soldiers' version; British singers but Canadian photos; and The Last Post]

Since my uncle who died at age 15 (mentioned previously) was called Will and Willie, I can't get through more than a few minutes of this one.
Tears the heart out, even though I didn't know him. It was always close to the hearts of his siblings and so we lived with it.

We had the parents of one of our Afghanistan heroes at the cenotaph this morning, and know the pain they suffer and that it will go with them to their graves.

In keeping with the French theme on this special day. Check out this young girl playing a tribute on the trumpet.

TAPS

Il Silenzio - André Rieu

Oops sorry her name is Melissa Venema. and it is Spanish I think. Hard to tell them foreigner apart eh? It's quite beautiful and so is the young girl. Her tone quality is excellent.

Being too young to know the horrors of war, I always counted on my Grandfather's very, very,limited accounts of his experiences.
His only boast was that he served under Lt. Col.
John McCrae and was with him when he penned his now famous poem.
I remember Acting Corporal H.J.K., CMAC-Service Number 40001 and thank God every day for the wisdom he attempted to instill in me.
I have his service medals in my right hand as I write this.

Thanks for this posting; Kate.
At our Cenotaph today, a wreath was laid by the widow and little daughter of a Soldier who died in Afghistan. I thought I would break down right there.
I think this was the largest Remembrance Day ceremony I have attended since I was a child in the 50's. It is good to see that people now really seem to get it after so long a hiatus.

Not sure which thread to put this on but for anybody who wants to look up a fallen relative's information, it can be done here:

http://www.vac-acc.gc.ca/remembers/sub.cfm?source=collections/books/listing

and/or here,

http://www.vac-acc.gc.ca/remembers/sub.cfm?source=collections/virtualmem

I was able to find out where my uncle, who I never knew, was buried.

I know there is also a place to look up service records of soldiers who survived, as I've used it in the past to look up my grandfather, but I haven't been able to relocate it.

A couple years ago I saw this video by Australian singer Beccy Cole. When some of her fanbase critisized her for visiting Aussie troops in Iraq, she sang this video response:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BZ6aqgvdFI

Thanks Kate,
Always loved this "modern" tribute to the lost generation ever since being introduced to it by an Ulster ex girlfriend. My Grandfather and his three brothers all signed up at the start in 14 with various of the West Yorkshire Regiments, only one of them was lost right at the end in the last week, coming from Bradford that was something of a remarkable achievement I didn't realise until much later that they had lost everyone of their generation they knew. Different world and different people, the generation that didn't talk about what they had been through, at all, and if they had, could we really understand, even now.

I was in an allied cemetery in Europe this summer, which looked just like the one at the beginning of this video: row upon row of white, rectangular gravestones.

The land around the cemetery was dry and parched, but the people of this island tended the area around the graves, making it an oasis of green grass and colourful flowers on the edge of the ocean.

An old weathered shepherd sat under a tree with one of his goats nearby, guarding the cemetery. It was deeply moving to see how grateful the people of this island are, in their care of the resting place of these fallen allied soldiers (mostly from the British Isles, Australia, New Zealand, though a few were Canadian), for those who stood with them against the tyranny of the Nazis.

Jan, The service records aren't online. We've ordered them in advance, and in our case went to NA to view them in person. Copies can be requested by mail for a fee.

In the case of WWI, you can see the attestation papers here:
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/cef/index-e.html

In the case of WWII dead, information is available on:
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/war-dead/001056-100.01-e.php

How to Send an Inquiry Concerning Your Own or Another Individual's Records
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/cef/001042-130-e.html?PHPSESSID=02mu626ch77romf9drghfneki6#g

Form can be downloaded on this page.

Beautiful -

Life, to be sure, is nothing much to lose;
But young men think it is, and we were young.
A.E. Housman

Kate,

A more appropriate version of this song doesn't exist...thank you!!

Mark Peters (Nfld),

I second your 1pm comment. As for "Time to dry the eyes"....mine forever remain moist. With an "O'Keefe" Mom (St. John's/Brigus) and a Dad, who was a Staff Captain to the General-in-Charge of Canadian Troops in Newfoundland (1942 - 1946)...that's where they met....I can say the Fureys do the only acceptable version of this tune. (Dropkick Murphys and Eric Bogle (the writer) do mean versions also.

May we never, never forget.

Thanks for listening...

I heard that one of the Canadian Tires in Calgary announced that it was 11.11 and now we will have a minutes silence. Taking the 11s two more significant digits for the modern age and not getting right at all.

Thank you for this wonderful piece. I like to buy music from artists I appreciate, but after some searching I find that the Fureys' albums are out of print and the band web site is dead.

gellen, you're right. It was the attestation papers I looked up. Thank you for the links.

Jema54: Please email me, I've got a queston about Uncle Alex.

mediaright@shaw.ca

Many thanks, Kate, for this post.

When we visited Ireland in 1982, I took my family to see the Fureys (& Davey Arthur) in a school gymnasium.
The place was packed, and after this piece was performed, I don't believe there was a single dry eye to be found.