Remembrance Day in Canada

Every year in Canada, we recognize November 11th as Remembrance Day. But how many know what the day represents? Well, here is a stark reminder. Our ancestors fought, and many died to give us the freedom we have today.

Dig in, boys and girls, because this is a serious post. There’s no joking around here.

Remembrance Day was a big deal when I was a child in elementary school. We learned what we should remember about war and why it should never happen again.

It was a solemn time. In the younger grades, we drew pictures of war, such as graveyards with rows of white tombstones. We made poppies out of red and black coloured paper as poppies were and are the symbol of Remembrance Day. We also learned the slogan “Lest We Forget” and what not to forget.

Poppy Field - Symbol of Remembrance Day — ***Poppy Field – Symbol of Remembrance Day***

In higher grades, we learned about specific wars, especially World War II, because it was not so long ago at that time and still fresh in our parents’ memories. Most of them had lived through the war in one way or another. We learned and memorized the John McCrae poem “In Flanders’ Fields”, shown below.

Our elders taught us to respect life, mourn for those who gave their lives, and hope it never happened again. Every year, without fail, we observed two minutes of silence for those who gave their lives to war. The two minutes of silence always began at precisely 11 a.m. on the 11th day of the 11th month, as that was the exact time World War I ended, as stated below.

“In Flanders’ Fields”

"In Flanders' Fields"
by Lt Col John McCrae (of Guelph, Canada)
Died January 28th, 1918, while on active service in France.

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.

Remembrance Day in Other Countries

Canada is only one of many countries to observe the tradition of Remembrance Day. Most current and former member countries of the British Commonwealth recognize Remembrance Day, and most of them do so on November 11th. Several European countries involved in wars on their soil also observe this special day as a hope for lasting peace. In the United States, it’s called Veterans Day.

Twelve Facts About World War I

Also known as the First World War or the Great War
July 28, 1914 – November 11, 1918
Cause – A Bosnian Serb nationalist assassinated Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife on June 28, 1914. On July 28th, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia.
The war was between two coalitions: the Allied and Central Powers.
More than 25 countries took part.
In alphabetical order, the Allied powers’ major participants were Belgium, the British Empire, France, Italy, Romania, Russia, Serbia, and the United States.
In alphabetical order, the major participants of the Central powers were Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, Germany, and Turkey.
The war was fought throughout Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Pacific, and Asia.
9 million soldiers died, and 21 million were wounded
Almost 10 million civilians died.
Nearly 61, 000 Canadians died.
Germany signed an armistice on November 11, 1918, at 11 a.m. to end the war.

Twelve Facts About World War II

It is known as the most significant and deadliest conflict in human history.
September 1, 1939 – August 15, 1945
Cause – Germany invaded Poland.
The war was between two coalitions: the Allied and Axis Powers.
More than 50 nations were involved.
In alphabetical order, the Allied powers’ major participants were Britain, China, France, the Soviet Union, and the US.
In alphabetical order, the Axis powers’ major participants were Germany, Italy, and Japan.
The war was fought on land, sea, and air in nearly every part of the world.
40 to 50 million people died
Six million Jewish men, women, and children were killed in the Holocaust.
More than 43,000 Canadians died.
The Second World War ended on May 8, 1945, in Europe (V-E Day) and on August 15, 1945, in the Pacific (V-J Day).

World War III?

It hasn’t happened yet, but we’ve come close a few times. A deliberate action, reaction, or accident could cause it. The world is fragile, with many regional conflicts in process at any given time. Eight countries have nuclear weapons, with at least two more in the developing stages. If any of these countries deployed any of these weapons of mass destruction, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Why Are There Wars?

We can summarize the cause of war into three main categories: political ideology, religion, or greed (I want what you have.). Wars are not generally started by the people but by governments or heads of state. People don’t want wars because they will be the losers. Death and destruction are not for anyone’s benefit.

In war, there are aggressors and defenders. However, the difference becomes blurred as the war progresses. There are rules of war, and the international community monitors these rules, but to what end? Sometimes, countries, leaders, or other individuals are held responsible for war crimes, but the damage has already been done. It’s too late. Innocent civilians have lost their lives. How can there be rules of war? It seems like an oxymoron.

What Do We Know About Our Own Countries And Wars?

“History is written by the victors” is a well-known saying, and there’s a lot of truth to that. In Western countries, we are very much aware of the Holocaust perpetrated by the Germans and other Axis countries. Many are also aware of the so-called “comfort woman” supplied to Japanese soldiers. However, we don’t seem to know much about our countries and their adherence to the rules of war. I’m sure there must have been violations to one extent or another.

When I lived in Japan in the mid-90s, I discovered that young Japanese people knew virtually nothing about World War II. I found this curious because I knew quite a lot about the Japanese in World War II. But then, it occurred to me that I knew very little about Canada’s role in the war except that we were one of the countries considered “the goods guys”.

The Doomsday Clock

The Oxford Online Dictionary describes the doomsday clock as: “A symbolic clock whose time is moved closer to and further away from midnight to indicate the current likelihood of a man-made catastrophe causing the destruction of the world.” Pretty scary stuff, right? We’re capable of it and are trying very hard to accomplish it. Let’s look at how close we have come to self-destruction, according to the doomsday clock. In 2023, the doomsday clock is set at 90 seconds to midnight. The world has become a very dangerous place.

What Have We Learned by Observing Remembrance Day?

Well, not much, I’m afraid. “Lest We Forget” is to remember those who died and why they died. They died to preserve our way of life but, more importantly, our freedom as a society.

Friends change. Interestingly, China and Russia (of the former Soviet Union) are no longer our allies, but Germany and Japan are now. That’s a significant change since the end of World War II.

There is far too much hate in the world. If we don’t understand and learn from our mistakes, wars will always be present somewhere in this sorry world. Don’t tolerate the hate, and teach your children not to accept it either.

And Now For Your Listening Enjoyment

Here for your consideration is Barry McGuire’s 1965 recording of Eve of Destruction with graphic imagery. It was recorded during the Vietnam War.

The above essay is for entertainment and English language study only. For suggestions on how to use this post to improve your English reading and listening comprehension, click here.

Vocabulary

stark – adjective; devoid of any elaboration or adornment; brutally simple; real and easily seen
solemn – adjective; serious and dignified; serious
lest – conjunction; in order that not; for fear that; so that we don’t ( in this case, forget)
assassinated – transitive verb; kill for political or religious motives; kill for political or religious motives
coalition – noun; a temporary alliance for combined action; one side against the other
armistice – noun; a cessation of hostilities by common agreement of the opposing sides; a truce; an agreement to end a war
deliberate – adjective; intentional; done on purpose; on purpose
deployed – transitive verb; bring or send (armaments, armed forces, etc.) into position for action; to send weapons of mass destruction (in this context)
aggressor – noun; a person or country that attacks without provocation; the country that starts the war
blurred – adjective; unclear or less distinct; unclear
oxymoron – noun; a figure of speech in which apparently contradictory terms appear in conjunction; two or more things that don’t seem to be possible at the same time
victors – noun plural; a person or country etc. that succeeds in overcoming or defeating an adversary or opponent; the winners
adherence – noun; behaving according to; to follow in detail; to follow the rules (in this case)
violations – plural noun; failure to observe or comply with an agreement; breaking the rules of an agreement
catastrophe – noun; a great and usually sudden disaster; a huge disaster

Comprehension Questions

What day is Remembrance Day in Canada every year?
(a) July 1st, (b) October 31st, (c) November 11th, or (d) December 31st
What is the symbolic flower for Remembrance Day?
(a) a rose, (b) a poppy, (c) a daffodil, or (d) a tulip
What war is referred to as the Great War?
(a) World War I, (b) World War II, (c) the Korean War, or (d) the Vietnam War.
World War I began in 1914 and ended in 1918.
True or False
World War II began in 1939 and ended in 1945.
True or False
In World War II, Germany, Italy, and Japan were part of the Allied powers.
True or False
How many people died in World War II?
The Holocaust occurred during World War II.
True or False
When did World War III begin?
Did any of your ancestors serve in World War I or World War II?
Yes or No

Answers

Resources

Government of Canada – 10 Quick Facts on… Remembrance Day
Wikipedia – In Flanders Fields
Wikipedia – World War I
Britannica – World War II summary