One of my earlier memories as a kid was us visitng my grandparents at the farm where my mother grew up. It was a scrappy little farm with some apple trees, a few chickens and a cow and some corn and not much more. In the farmhouse we found some medals from World War One in a drawer. I asked my mom what they were and she said they were my grandfather’s but just to leave them and don’t ask about them. In our household you did what the old duck told you to do or you ended up at the wrong end of the old man’s belt. So I didn’t ask, but I did overhear that my grandfather’s limp and poor health had something to do with shrapnel although at the time I didn’t know what that meant.
I never heard my grandfather talk about the first world war. Unfortunately, the war to end all wars didn’t. I can’t even fathom how he felt when my uncle, his oldest son, went off to World War Two. Uncle Don never talked about his war either.
They were the lucky ones, they made it home.
Sharing some memories, lest we forget.
Thanks for posting this Roy!
Same sort of stories in our families, they were quiet the one who lived through all this…!
As a kid at 17 I did a 2 week tour of the European Canadian war memorials, with an uncle from England including Dieppe, Vimi Ridge and many others. Was told to wear the Canadian flag on my jackets. So many times random people walked by and thanked me for the lives saved by the Canadian forces. Truly humbling as a ignorant Canadian kids who really knew nothing of the wars! I’m so proud be a Canadian. It deeply bothers me to see the world heading down this delicate trail we are now on!
To all the families of veterans, their service was not in vain! We have our freedom!
Well said Chris. It’s hard for us to even comprehend what they went through, but it’s very important for us to recognize them for what they have done.