Ultimate Sacrifice

November 11th has come and gone for another year. I find Remembrance Day a day of strong emotion for me, I feel so proud to be a Canadian. I just love how people come together to honor the meaning of November 11th. It starts several weeks before the date, when people start to wear poppies. Tables are set up with Legion members patiently selling poppies. Small towns adorn their main streets with banners of the community veterans. Towns and cities have their own service, and at the end of the day the cenotaphs are laden with wreaths. There are very few veterans still living, their average age is 95 years. Just image what those wonderful old soldiers have seen and done in their lifetime

"No stone left alone" is a program between educators, students and community members. They work together to honor the veterans and hold their own services at their community cemeteries. What a tremendous effort that shows respect and gratitude for fallen military veterans, while honoring living veterans. Brandon has been doing this for several years and it is a breathtaking site to see. The community of Carnduff left no stone alone this year. There was considerable research done, to find all the graves that needed to be remembered. A community member had wooden poppies made. The children used them to mark the graves of the community veterans. The Legion and school children should be very proud of themselves, it is an impressive sight. 

                                            

As usual I watched the Ottawa Remembrance Day Service on TV. I have had the honor of attending the service in Ottawa, several times. I feel like I am right back there as I see it all unfold. I remember my Grandma Dixon watching the service, proudly wearing her poppy. She lost her brother in WWI, and of course endured my dad being in World War II. She would sit silently in front of her small tv. I know she had strong emotions as she watched. She would always speak of the Silver Cross Mother, with such sympathy. 

The Silver Cross Mother that was chosen to be honored in Ottawa was from New Brunswick. Both of her sons were Army Sergeants. These men had several tours of duties, once they even served together. When they returned, they both suffered from PTSD, and were never the same happy men they once were. This Mom wore two silver crosses, one of her sons took his own life, the other died three years later. Her message was to mothers, "talk to your sons and daughters about what happened"

No mother wants to be the Silver Cross Mother. Grandma Simpson was a Silver Cross Mother. Two of her sons were pilots in WWII. She lost her son George on his first mission. Her second son went on to become an accomplished pilot both in the military and as a civilian. He is over 100 years old and is just a remarkable man. 

There are beautiful stories that run all day on TV. A story I found very interesting is about a family from Nova Scotia. This family had 8 sons go to war, sadly only six returned. In their small hometown, there is a monument honoring the 8 men. In the US there is a family that also saw 8 sons of 11 serve in the war. All of these men made it back to their homes. Three of my Grandma Dempsey's brothers served in WWII, and they were also reunited with their families.  

During the newscast, they made the comment that WWII and the war in Afghanistan are similar. They happened in different times, with different ways of fighting, but they have strong similarities. It has been 10 years since Canada withdrew from Afghanistan. As with many professions, the military are struggling to recruit people to serve.  

Remembrance Day is designed to honor those that gave their lives for our country especially during the World Wars. Another sacrifice is made by those men and women that have given their life, as they knew it. After being on tour, they have to learn to live a new life coping with all the sights and sounds they have witnessed. They will never be the same again, it is their ultimate sacrifice. 

It is no secret that mental health issues within the military is under treated and acknowledged. I wish that was different for them, we need to do better, we owe it to them to do what we can. They did the best they could for us, we need to the best we can for them.  

"It's okay not to be okay"