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Affiliate Board: Deep Woods (Warhammer Fantasy Battle) Affiliate Board: Off Topic (General Discussion Board) Affiliate Board: Centretown Warhammer Club (Gaming Club) Affiliate Board: GW Ottawa Local | ||
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Threepwood 21:46:12 Tue Nov 11 2008 Offline 1505 posts WAAAAGH!  Reply |
Now, I know this a forum dedicated to little plastic soldiers playing little pretend wars, but today is a day to stop thinking about them and to think about real soldiers, and real wars, and how tragic they were. Today is a day to think about what sacrifices have been made by men of eras past, for their countrymen in the future. Today is a day to remember those who lost their lives, in most cases younger than you are now. Today is a day where we should value of freedom, bought at the cost of so many young men and woman. Today is a day where we should remember the terrible things brought forth by war. Today, 90 years ago, the war to end all wars ended. Little more than 20 years later, another, more destructive war was waged. Those are not the only wars we need remember though. People often forget about other wars, like the Korean war, or even the Boer war, both of which had Canadians serve with distinction, and losses. And even today, Canadians fight overseas, in Afghanistan. No matter your feelings on this war, what is happening there, or whether we should be there, we should still remember our troops over there, and keep them in our hearts and prayers if you are religious. I know that you probably have seen a million Rememberance day things today already. I know this is another drop in the pond. However, I just wanted to say my piece. |
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Classic88 22:00:42 Tue Nov 11 2008 Offline 825 posts
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Thank you James, you summed it up very well. I would add one thing.
The last Canadian Great War Vet, James Babcock (108 years old) passed a torch to the younger Veterans today during the Remembrance ceremony. A heartfelt moment amongst many today. Keith |
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Qualdinesh 22:03:07 Tue Nov 11 2008 Offline 118 posts  Reply |
Here is something I wanted to share. I really like this article and I think it was writen rather well. Thanks for starting this post Threepwood.
British news paper salutes Canada. Sunday Telegraph Article From today's UK wires: Salute to a brave and modest nation - Kevin Myers, 'The Sunday Telegraph' LONDON : Until the deaths of Canadian soldiers killed in Afghanistan , probably almost no one outside their home country had been aware that Canadian troops are deployed in the region. And as always, Canada will bury its dead, just as the rest of the world, as always will forget its sacrifice, just as it always forgets nearly everything Canada ever does.. It seems that Canada 's historic mission is to come to the selfless aid both of its friends and of complete strangers, and then, once the crisis is over, to be well and truly ignored. Canada is the perpetual wallflower that stands on the edge of the hall, waiting for someone to come and ask her for a dance. A fire breaks out, she risks life and limb to rescue her fellow dance-goers, and suffers serious injuries. But when the hall is repaired and the dancing resumes, there is Canada, the wallflower still, while those she once helped Glamorously cavort across the floor, blithely neglecting her yet again. That is the price Canada pays for sharing the North American continent with the United States , and for being a selfless friend of Britain in two global conflicts. For much of the 20th century, Canada was torn in two different directions: It seemed to be a part of the old world, yet had an address in the new one, and that divided identity ensured that it never fully got the gratitude it deserved. Yet it's purely voluntary contribution to the cause of freedom in two world wars was perhaps the greatest of any democracy. Almost 10% of Canada 's entire population of seven million people served in the armed forces during the First World War, and nearly 60,000 died. The great Allied victories of 1918 were spearheaded by Canadian troops, perhaps the most capable soldiers in the entire British order of battle. Canada was repaid for its enormous sacrifice by downright neglect, it's unique contribution to victory being absorbed into the popular Memory as somehow or other the work of the 'British.' The Second World War provided a re-run. The Canadian navy began the war with a half dozen vessels, and ended up policing nearly half of the Atlantic against U-boat attack. More than 120 Canadian warships participated in the Normandy landings, during which 15,000 Canadian soldiers went ashore on D-Day alone. Canada finished the war with the third-largest navy and the fourth largest air force in the world. The world thanked Canada with the same sublime indifference as it had the previous time. Canadian participation in the war was acknowledged in film only if it was necessary to give an American actor a part in a campaign in which the United States had clearly not participated - a touching scrupulousness which, of course, Hollywood has since abandoned, as it has any notion of a separate Canadian identity. So it is a general rule that actors and filmmakers arriving in Hollywood keep their nationality - unless, that is, they are Canadian. Thus Mary Pickford, Walter Huston, Donald Sutherland, Michael J. Fox, William Shatner, Norman Jewison, David Cronenberg, Alex Trebek, Art Linkletter and Dan Aykroyd have in the popular perception become American, and Christopher Plummer, British. It is as if, in the very act of becoming famous, a Canadian ceases to be Canadian, unless she is Margaret Atwood, who is as unshakably Canadian as a moose, or Celine Dion, for whom Canada has proved quite unable to find any takers. Moreover, Canada is every bit as querulously alert to the achievements of its sons and daughters as the rest of the world is completely unaware of them. The Canadians proudly say of themselves - and are unheard by anyone else - that 1% of the world's population has provided 10% of the world's peacekeeping forces. Canadian soldiers in the past half century have been the greatest peacekeepers on Earth - in 39 missions on UN mandates, and six on non-UN peacekeeping duties, from Vietnam to East Timor, from Sinai to Bosnia. Yet the only foreign engagement that has entered the popular non-Canadian imagination was the sorry affair in Somalia , in which out-of-control paratroopers murdered two Somali infiltrators. Their regiment was then disbanded in disgrace - a uniquely Canadian act of self-abasement for which, naturally, the Canadians received no international credit. So who today in the United States knows about the stoic and selfless friendship its northern neighbour has given it in Afghanistan ? Rather like Cyrano de Bergerac , Canada repeatedly does honourable things for honourable motives, but instead of being thanked for it, it remains something of a figure of fun. It is the Canadian way, for which Canadians should be proud, yet such honour comes at a high cost. This past year more grieving Canadian families knew that cost all too tragically well. Lest we forget.
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Joyous_Oblivion 22:22:28 Tue Nov 11 2008 Offline 5881 posts
HoH 05/06 - 26th Place (40K) GM9 - Best Overall WARMASTER - Space Marines  Reply |
An excellent topic Threep to bring up today and I fell bad for not mentioning something myself, though it would not have likely have been near as eloquent as your post.
Secondly that article was amazing Qualdinesh, an excellent find, and very nicely summing up canada's role over the years. If we continue to do what we do and do it well I'm happy being the Wallflower at the dance, at least I know I'm doing something right. |
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Chillymissinglink 22:50:36 Tue Nov 11 2008 Offline 627 posts Reply |
starts a slow clap, and increases in tempo to a standing ovation. A very long, well deserved standing ovation.
Well done guys. Great posts. Thank you for sharing those. Derek |
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Captain_Agemman 00:00:06 Wed Nov 12 2008 Offline 293 posts Reply |
I really agree! Great articles, great posts and a great topic for today, something that we should keep in mind always. Also, I don't know if it's said enough, but thanks to those members of the boards who are also serving.
Derek |
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Steel_Paladin 01:18:54 Wed Nov 12 2008 Offline 1320 posts  Reply |
Amen. May we always strive to live up to the glorious exploits of our ancestors, and in
doing so prove ourselves worthy to set our society upon the shoulders of giants and heroes.
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Finlos 03:06:09 Wed Nov 12 2008 Offline 216 posts  Reply |
They shall not grow 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 |
gimianax  12:10:11 Wed Nov 12 2008 Offline 221 posts President of Deep Space Southwest Chapter  Reply |
Thank you Canada!
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Twinlinked 16:36:47 Wed Nov 12 2008 Offline 485 posts Reply |
Well said guys,
A. |
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Aarhus 17:11:10 Wed Nov 12 2008 Offline 2017 posts Lord of Forgetting
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Beatifully spoken James!
-L-
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