Wednesday, November 11, 2015

For King And Country


This will not be a history lesson. November 11th. An important day for Canadians. Some may say for all the wrong reasons. Canada has fought wars as part of an Empire and as an independent nation going back to 1866. For those who are about to ask "what about the war of 1812?". Well I am the first to incorrectly say that Canada kicked the American's butt in that bit of nastiness. I believe mostly because I grew up in an around many of the battlefields along the Niagara River. Truth be told, we were not a country until 1867 and were just a colony of Great Britain until that time.

     We also have a proud tradition as a peace keeping force since 1956. Where there was a need Canada would put on the Blue UN Peacekeeping helmets without hesitation. These action were not without their costs as well.

    Truth be told, many Canadians recognize November 11th as the date for which the armistice of peace took place to conclude The Great War (1914 - 1918) and the Second World (1939 - 1945) war after that . It is said Canada came of age during that time. Welead the charge and pursued victory in the quagmire that was Passchendaele and defeated the Germans at the impregnable Vimy Ridge. Canadian's along with the still independent Newfoundland Regiments were obliterated during the Battle of the Somme. (Read And on we go - Will Byrd for a first hand account.) The Battles of Ypres, Amiens, Sanctuary Wood, the list of WW1 battles is as long as they are grotesque in both victory and defeat. A very well done documentary series For King and Country narrated by Norm Christie is a must.

    Canadians had major roles in WW 2 as a part of the BEF, the Italian campaigns and Ortona where they were given the ill advised nick name of the D-Day Dodgers. We landed at Juno and Dieppe. To this day Canadians are revered in Holland and Belgium for their actions in liberation. We and found on land, our RAF and Naval forces impressive. We fought hard in Hong Kong and Singapore and the boys suffered in their capture and imprisonment to Japanese forces.

As I said, this is not a history lesson and I could not even scratch the surface trying to talk about Canadians Military History. What I can talk briefly about are my experiences visiting various battlefields, memorials and cemeteries in and around France and Belgium.

     I have spent time at Dieppe, Arras, Amiens, Vimy Ridge, Passhendaele, Sanctuary Woods, Juno Beach (as well as Omaha, Gold and Sword). I have been to Caen and Ypres where EVERY NIGHT at the Menin gate they perform the Last Post. Almost 100 years later it is moving and heartbreaking at the same time.
I have walked the rows of headstones at Tyne Cott, Adegem, Vimy and Beny-sur-Mer Canadian War Cemetery at Juno. I crawled the tunnels and reconstructed battlefield trenches of Vimy and viewed the still crater marked battleground of Beaumont-Hamel, walked the fields into Passchendaele among countless other places in and around the Belgium Salient including the Field hospital and grave marker for Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae. I stood in Flanders Fields.

I do not know much but what I do know is each place was emotional. I will filled with both overpowering sadness and enormous pride. In Dieppe I shared beer with Canadian Veterans who were making the pilgrimage in 2004 as a part of the 50 years of the D-Day. I shut up, bought beer and listened. They told their stories about being a part of the Dieppe landing and I felt smaller and smaller with each one. Smaller in courage not as a person.

     Let me tell you my friends. Those were generations that had balls the the size of boulders. They knew sacrifice. We would all like to think we would have stepped up if it was our time but again that was a different time and I am sure we would have. To this day though, most of us would not even help the person next door or that guy hungry on the street if they needed it.
I stood on those fields not knowing if I could have done it. Being raised in this generation because of what those generations did is never ever lost on me. Most people who know me know that this day is the most important day of the year for me. I quietly do my thing and remember in my own way. That will never change.

Here is my challenge. If this day is as important to you as you say it is. Take the time TODAY, right NOW if possible, and as much as you need to memorize Flanders Fields by John Mcrae. If you already know this poem learn something, anything else about Canada's military history. You may know our flying Ace Billy Bishop but what about Raymond Collishaw or William George Barker. How Donald Curry changed the war with his forward thinking battle plans or read about any other WW 1 heroes not at the front of the hero line. You know Laura Secord (pre canada) but do you know any of the  prominent suffrage leaders like Nellie McClung, Emily Murphy and Flora MacDonald. Do you know what a suffrage is/was? All I am saying is do more than wear a poppy (do you know when the poppy was first used) and post something moving on FB then go about your day. Spend some time and just talk with a veteran or group of veterans. Trust me it will be something that can change your life and it will become a part of your routine. Don't tell anyone about it or FB it. Own it and make it yours. Learn, try to understand, get moved and inspired.

The Canadian military and it's history deserves 30 minutes of your attention today.
 


Flanders Fields
--- Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.


*** from Wikipedia ***
Canada has been involved in 14 "wars".  5 of these wars were as part of the British Empire, 3 of them as part of NATO.  Of these wars only 1 was initiated by Canada.

1866-1871 - The Fenian Raids (attacks against Canada by the Fenian Brotherhood) - fought as Canada alone
** There are plaques and memorials for this near Fort Erie, Ontario
1870 - Wolseley Expedition (started by Canada in response to the Metis establishing an independent "Red River Colony" in British territory, resulted in the establishment of Manitoba as a Canadian Province). - fought as Canada alone
1884-1885 - Nile Expedition - fought as part of the Empire
1899-1902 - Second Boer War - fought as part of the Empire
1914-1918 - The Great War (WWI for my American friends) - started as part of the Empire but given autonomy of operation during the course of the war
1918-1920 - Armenin-Azerbaijani War - fought as part of the Empire
1918-1920 - Russian Civil War - fought as part of the Empire
1939-1945 - The Second World War (WWII) - fought as Canada
1950-1953 - Korean War - fought as Canada
1990-1991 - Persian Gulf War - fought as Canada
1992-1995 - Bosnian War - fought as NATO
1998-1999 - Kosovo War - fought as NATO
2001-2014 - Afghanistan War - fought as Canada
2011 - Libyan Civil War - fought as NATO
2014-ongoing - ISIL intervention - fought as Canada

Canadian Peace Keeping Efforts

UNEF I United Nations Emergency Force 1956–1967 Up to 1,007 personnel
ONUC United Nations Operation in the Congo 1960–1964 Approx 300 servicemen at a time, 1,900 total.
UNTEA/UNSF United Nations Temporary Executive Authority/United Nations Security Force (West New Guinea, Indonesia) 1962–1963 Two aircraft, one observer.
UNFICYP United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus 1964- Operation SNOWGOOSE
UNEFME (aka UNEF II) United Nations Emergency Force, Middle East 1973–1979 1,145 personnel
UNDOF United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (Israel/Syria) 1974- Operation DANACA
UNIFIL United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon 1978 110 personnel
MFO Multinational Force and Observers (Sinai, Egypt) 1981- Operation CALUMET
UNTAG United Nations Transition Assistance Group (Namibia) 1989–1990 Operation MATADOR
MINURSO United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara 1991-1994 Operation PYTHON, a maximum of 35 CF personnel from May 1991-June 1994.
UNTAC United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia 1992–1993 Operation MARQUIS 1 and MARQUIS 2
UNOSOM I United Nations Operation in Somalia I April 1992-December 1992
UNITAF Unified Task Force December 1992-May 1993
UNPROFOR United Nations Protection Force (Croatia) 1992–1995 Operation Harmony
UNOSOM II United Nations Operation in Somalia II May 1993-March 1995
UNMIH United Nations Mission in Haiti 1993–1996 Up to 500 Canadian Forces personnel and 100 civilian police.
UNAMIR United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda 1993–1996
UNCRO United Nations Confidence Restoration Operation 1994–1996
UNPREDEP United Nations Preventive Deployment Force 1995–1999 1 observer
UNMIBH United Nations Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina 1995–2000 20 Canadian Forces personnel and 100 RCMP and civilian police
UNSMIH United Nations Support Mission in Haiti 1996–1997 Operation STANDARD and Operation STABLE
UNTMIH United Nations Transition Mission in Haiti 1997-2004 Operation CONSTABLE
MIPONUH United Nations Civilian Police Mission in Haiti 1997–2000 Operation COMPLIMENT
MINURCA United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic 1998–2000 Over 80 CF personnel at peak.
INTERFET International Force for East Timor 1999–2000 Operation TOUCAN
UNMIK United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo 1999–2002 Operation Kinetic, Operation QUADRANT
UNAMSIL United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone 1999–2005 Operation REPTILE
MONUC United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo 1999– 9 military observers (Operation CROCODILE)
UNTAET United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor 2000–2002 600 personnel (Operation TOUCAN)
UNMEE UN Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea 2000 Operation Addition
MINUSTAH UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti 2004 500 personnel, 6 helicopters (Operation HALO)
UNMIS United Nations Mission in Sudan 2005-2009 45 personnel (Operation SAFARI)
UNAMID African Union – United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur  2009-





Operation SATURN (Canada no longer participating)
 

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