At some point today please take the time to pay your respects to those who have risked their lives in the name of peace and the greater good, many of whom never returned to their native lands.
I spent a good number of Remembrance Day services on Prince Edward Island watching the contrast between the aging veterans and the members of the PEI Regiment, one of whom was my brother. On the one hand it's saddening that every year their are fewer and fewer veterans of Canada's wars at the services. On the other hand it's heartening that it's been so long the world has been thrown into turmoil by a global war.
So thank you to my brother, a former officer in the PEIR and a member of the NATO peacekeeping force in Bosnia in 1999, for always giving us an extra reason to go to the cenotaph, whether it was in Clyde River or Charlottetown.
(The above picture was taken by me on December 12, 2002. Feel free to use it if you like. A photo album from last year's Remembrance Day Service has been added on the lower left-hand side of the page under the name 'Remember')
Well said, and you're welcome. The recognition is appreciated. I spent this year's Remembrance Day on parade as part of E Div Ceremonial Troop, RCMP, at the cenotaph in Victory Square, Vancouver. After the parade we toured the various messes, notably the RCMP NCO mess at headquarters, the Seaforth Highlanders mess, and then the Billy Bishop Legion, where the PM himself put in an appearance. I met up with old acquaintances and made new ones. I even ran into several people with connections to the PEIR. Got to talk with numerous vets, and was honoured to be on parade with "Smokey" Smith, the last surviving Canadian Victoria Cross winner. A somber, reflective day.
Posted by: big brother | November 14, 2004 at 08:43 PM