Oshawa Remembrance Day parade. Picture Glenn Hendry
I Bear in mind
Je me souviens. I keep in mind.
I keep in mind my great-grandmother’s tears when she despatched 4 of her boys off to combat within the Nice Struggle. I keep in mind her muted pleasure at seeing three of them – together with my grandfather Fred – return protected however by no means actually sound. Her son John – my father carries his identify – fought valiantly throughout that horrible spring of 1917 earlier than he was left behind within the lethal quagmire that was the primary day of Passchendaele.
I keep in mind my grandfather, who died after I was eight, by no means speaking about what occurred in these trenches of loss of life.
I keep in mind English Sally, she who married a son of Pennan, strolling the size of the island from her household house within the nice naval port of Southampton to the north-east coast of Scotland, simply to be together with her man, homeward certain from the Napoleonic Wars.
I keep in mind Alexander Hendry of Aberdeenshire combating for his freedom at Culloden in 1746. Life for Alexander and the remainder of the Scots who fought with Bonnie Prince Charlie would by no means be the identical.
Passchendaele
I keep in mind a newlywed Rozel straining to ship her child on the very day her husband, an American loyal to the crown and kin to my kids, was combating for Canada’s freedom alongside Isaac Brock at Queenston Heights. The soldier would return safely to satisfy his son; his spouse wouldn’t see both ever once more.
I keep in mind my Nice-Uncle Charlie, who left his spouse behind whereas he tried to carve a residing in Malaysia’s rubber business, struggling to remain alive in a Japanese POW camp throughout World Struggle II. Charlie, who served me marmalade on toast after I visited him in Rotorua, New Zealand 44 years later, risked his life to maintain a diary as he toiled each day to rebuild the bridge over the River Kwai whereas the nice guys rained down a each day dose of loss of life from above.
I keep in mind a son of a former classmate shedding his life in Afghanistan; the shock after I learn the information lingers with me nonetheless.
I keep in mind my pal’s Uncle Don, a Second World Struggle navigator who died in battle in the summertime of 1944. Don handed on his identify to his nephew and his story to you.
Pvt. George Savage
I keep in mind the third Canadian Infantry and Pvt George Savage – father to Jamie – braving an apocalypse of bombs and gunfire to land at Juno Seashore on D-Day in 1944 to start their push into Germany.
I keep in mind different dads from the neighbourhood and their efforts in that warfare. John Baschuk’s father and uncle each answered the decision, as did Diane McNeil’s Uncle Fred – a pilot – and her father, who was ready for the go-ahead when the warfare ended. Artwork Canfield – father of Bruce, Diane and Paul – served with the Royal Regiment of Canada. Phil Hennessey – father of John – bought to satisfy Common George S. Patton. Rick Skillater, a neighbour and a pilot with the British Air Pressure, flew lots of of missions into enemy territory.
I keep in mind Tom McCaw – father to Janine – having fun with nice meals and an lodging improve on a Canadian naval ship as a result of crew members had been satisfied he was King George VI in hiding. Janine’s grandfather Tommy additionally served and misplaced his life on the Battle of Somme a technology earlier.
I keep in mind Frederick Wilmot – grandfather to Nicole – who enlisted in 1941 and rose to the rank of Sergeant. I keep in mind Ron McVicar, who served in the identical warfare on HMCS Cornwall. I keep in mind Vic Shirreffs, my first father-in-law, who served as a stoker within the Canadian Navy.
I keep in mind William Findlay, great-grandfather of Amy and the youngest Sergeant Main within the British Military, being awarded the Distinguished Medal of Honour. I keep in mind Royal Navy Seaman Stanley March, great-grandfather of Josh, and I keep in mind Invoice Ryan, father of Dave, who fought with the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders.
I keep in mind John Cossaboom, dad to Steve, and his RCEME regiment in Korea.
John Cossaboom and his RCEME Regiment in Korea
I keep in mind my pal Hago, who did two excursions – the primary in Kosovo and the second in Afghanistan – and continues to serve to this present day.
I keep in mind the longer term pilots on the previous Portage la Prairie air base in Manitoba and the women and men from the native armoury who got here out to Karaoke at Stag’s Head in Oshawa on Tuesday nights.
I keep in mind the funeral of a younger man associated to me by marriage who was simply starting his navy profession. The sound of the pipes as they performed Wonderful Grace despatched shivers up my backbone.
I keep in mind Vimy Ridge, the four-day battle within the spring of 1917 that marked – at a price of 10,000 troopers killed or wounded – a coming of age for Canada as a nation, in addition to the top of our innocence about wars and the individuals who revenue from them.
I keep in mind the Remembrance Day service held a day early just a few years in the past in downtown Brooklin for the advantage of the varsity kids. After being so many generations faraway from warfare, it was necessary the youngsters knew what their dad and mom, grandparents and great-grandparents had been combating for and that they might have a greater understanding of what they had been supposed to recollect.
I keep in mind Remembrance companies throughout COVID; muted and masked identical to they had been greater than 100 years earlier than over the last pandemic.
I keep in mind the companies in Oshawa the place tanks and different navy autos from the native tank museum would fill the streets previous to the at all times sombre ceremony at Memorial Park.
I keep in mind each soldier I’ve ever recognized and I keep in mind those that fought and died for my household and me and for our freedom, and for the liberty that all of us get pleasure from and too usually take as a right. I keep in mind the households and pals of these troopers and the tears that had been shed for fallen family members.
I keep in mind the blood spilt by innocents, and I keep in mind the heartbreak of everybody affected by warfare.
I keep in mind prefer it was yesterday the signing of the Armistice to finish the Nice Struggle. 100 and 6 years in the past right now.
I keep in mind. So I gained’t ever overlook.
Remembrance Day ceremony, Oshawa. Picture Glenn Hendry
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