On Nov. 11, 1918 at 11 a.m. an armistice was signed ending the First World War. At this time every year we now remember those who gave their lives fighting for our country, for our freedom, as well as honour those who continue to enter into our armed forces.
Therefore, this Sunday a service will be held at the Carlyle Elementary School beginning at 10:45. It is an important time to think of our troops past and present, to recognize all that they have done and continue to do for us.
Remembrance Day is a single day set aside to remember why we as Canadians are able to express ourselves freely. Our troops have fought against great injustices and defended us from many threats since the creation of Canada.
Currently the Canadian Forces focus is heavily on peace keeping, which is extremely important. This position still carries with it great danger and they do this for their loved ones and their country back home.
Over the years the Canadian troops made names for themselves in being brave and determined soldiers. The First World War saw Canadians take Vimy Ridge from the Germans, an area previously unable to be taken by any other. They implemented the creeping barrage, dug tunnels into the hill beneath the Germans, and fought in the trenches in this instance.
I remember being in high school discussing the accomplishments of Canadian troops, and the teacher explained that if the Germans discovered Canadians were on the line they were about to attack they would move their target to avoid our soldiers. This obviously struck a chord and stuck with me.
Americans often boast about their troops, about their army, and how ours is inferior and has been throughout the years. It is true when we went into Afghanistan the Canadian Forces had to find the money to get the proper camouflage for the area; but, despite this the heart that seems to emanate from within our troops is still valid making them an elite force.
They are an integral part to our country and have been since the beginning. This is why it is important to not only acknowledge them on Remembrance Day, but to remember them throughout the year.
The past few years I feel I have seen a decline in the number of poppy's worn by people. This I feel is one of the ways we can help to acknowledge those who have and those who continue to fight for Canada. Now whether the meaning of the poppy has started to become lost or why they are no longer prevalent, I'm not entirely sure but it is something that needs to change. While away at school I used to search for a poppy because of its importance, but why did I have to search for it? Why weren't their poppies available on campus?
I will never know and each year I would become upset with myself for not contacting the Legion to offer to sit with some in the Student's Union or in the Atrium. Each year Remembrance Day seemed to sneak up and I would realize too late what I had wanted to do.
So, why wear a poppy? To many it became a symbol to honour the fallen, but how? The battlefield and the poppy in Europe are actually very closely linked. Following the Napoleonic wars a sea of flowers, a deep bright red the colour of blood, began to grow on a decimated field due to battle. They disappeared soon after.
Following the First World War they once again appeared on the battlefields of France. Scientists were able to later determine their invigorated growth was due to limestone in the soil due to the many destroyed buildings. As the limestone was absorbed the poppies quit flowering and through the very popular poem by John McCrae, "In Flanders Fields," the poppy was solidified as an important symbol which has perpetuated until today.
As the Legion website states the first poppies were, "made, beginning in 1922, by disabled veterans under the sponsorship of the Department of Soldiers Civil Re-establishment." The Legion has since taken on the creation of poppies and uses any funds raised towards direct assistance for Veterans in need. Veterans with financial issues, those in need of medical services, home services, and care facilities are all assisted through this effort.
So, why wear a poppy? To not only honour those who fought for our country, but to aid those now in need. It is an important part of our heritage and everyone should be encouraged to wear one in my opinion.
