Remembrance Day

There are only three World War I veterans left in Canada. Average age is 106. I salute you, gentlemen. If I recall correctly there were six left at this time last year. This year could very well be the end of the line for living memory of the War. My grandfather was a WWI vet, but he has been gone for almost 30 years. I can't imagine still having him around. He was born in 1894. Boy, that feels likes a long time ago.

Today's the day when I think of my dad the most. Even more than at Christmas or on his birthday. Remembrance Day was a big event for him, and so it's become my day for him. He fought in France, but not for long as he was wounded after 3 weeks or so. He spent 4 years in England, preparing and training, and it was over for him in 3 weeks. A rather lopsided investment, I guess. He loved his time in England, though.

In The Gazette today, the front page is filled with the photos of the 42 Canadians who have been killed in Afghanistan. They have made Remembrance Day feel current again, and relevant in a new way for young people. Being a small country with a small army and a small number of Afghanistan deaths, we can still think of each of them individually. We look at their faces and remember their names. I feel sad for the American soldiers; their casualty numbers are so high, they seem more like statistics. That's a shame. It's just not right.