The First World War was about three months in at this point, 100 years ago. It would be another four years before that war ended.
At the time this war was heralded as “the war to end all wars”. The Great War, which ravaged Europe through the introduction of mechanized fire-power and the use of chemical weapons, should have been message enough that war should end.
But instead, it was in those trenches of horror that many of the personalities who showed up again in World War II honed their resolve to fight and their world view to dominate.
It would be, in the end, a cauldron of hate.
On November 11, we recognize the end of World War I. The familiar poppy adorns most sweaters and jackets these days. The same cheery faces seeking donations continue to grow older.
Schools will have services, veterans able to do so will march and Legions across the country will show respect to service members that have served their country in various capacities.
We fear however, the memories of war and the honour deserved by those who perished is fading.
There remain pockets of guardians, intent on preserving the memory of those who gave their lives for freedom so future generations may be free.
Recent work with Arthur at its cenotaph and the publication this year of a book honouring veterans in the township of Guelph-Eramosa are signs of communities willing to carry the torch of remembrance.
Sadly, it will take more than this kind of resolve to truly pay homage to the sacrifices made on our behalf starting a century ago. It needs to be more about how we live each day and how we function as a society.
Voting as an example, one of our true rights in a democracy, is not cherished as it should be. If it were, we would not live in a land where a “majority of the minority” decides the fate of different levels of government. Recent municipal elections were an embarrassment in that regard.
The primary challenge of both world wars was the battle to see democracy survive. The Commonwealth, ultimately joined by the Americans in World War I, battled to ensure citizenry in their various corners of the world would continue to enjoy the grace and abundance found under a democratic form of government.
World War II was even more perilous, as the Allies faced off against the Axis Powers of Germany, Japan and Italy. Men and women of that era recognized that the abundance and values we take for granted today were worth fighting for. The losses were steep and the casualties horrific.
It is on occasions like Remembrance Day that a free press, able to thrive as it does thanks to those who fought for this freedom, asks the question … Where would Canada be, had our forefathers not cherished freedom, as they did? The potential answers would send a chill down any thinking person’s spine.
All we can suggest is that thanks is owed, and remembrance is due, to the selfless actions of so many a century ago.
