1 week Ago By Postmedia News
Article content There’s an ancient Roman adage that says those who desire peace should prepare for war. Those words are as true now, as we observe Remembrance Day, as they were when this country sent the flower of its youth off to fight wars in far-flung lands. As we engage once more in our annual national reflection on war and sacrifice, we remember those who gave their lives in two world conflicts, in Korea and in peacekeeping missions around the globe.
Our thoughts turn also to the realities of war in our own time. Europe is once again convulsed in conflict, as Russia’s illegal incursion into Ukraine continues. The Middle East is a tinderbox and reconciliation is hard to envisage.
It brings into poignant focus the fragility of peace and the bravery of those who served this country in times of war. It should also make us take stock of our preparedness to fight for what we believe in. Defence spending is never popular.
Governments drag their feet when it comes to investing in those very people who put their lives on the line in our defence. This country has a storied history of armed service. Our soldiers, sailors and airmen always punch above their weight.
On a per-capita basis, in the Second World War, Canada lost more military personnel than any other country in the world. More than 650,000 Canadians served in the First World War and more than one million served in the Second World War. We remember the 381 Canadians who died on D-Day on Juno Beach.
We honour the memory of more than 100 Canadian airmen who were part of what Britain’s wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill called “The Few.” Those brave pilots took to the skies over Britain every night to defend that country in the Battle of Britain. Sadly, many gave their lives in that crucial air war.
Canada’s merchant marine played a key role in the Battle of the Atlantic, transporting goods, food and troops in convoys. Approximately 1,500 mariners died in those dangerous waters. Canadians served with immense courage and dignity.
They asked nothing more than to be remembered for their sacrifice. That is why we bow our heads on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. Lest we forget.
.
