Lest We Forget

By Ben Meisner

Each year we stop on November 11^th to pay homage to the men and women who died fighting for our country.

In the first world war, young boys , some only 12 years old signed up to fight for Canada. The longest surviving  Canadian veteran of the First World War, John Henry Foster "Jack" Babcock went to war when he was only 15.  He died  last  February at the age of 109.

Young men were thrown into battle with scarcely a thought about their youth and in many cases their lives.

Since that time, Canadian men and women have fought in World War 2, the Korean conflict, some signed on to  serve  in Vietnam,  others served as Peace keepers in  numerous hot spots around the world, and still more  are on the ground battling daily in Afghanistan. No matter where they have served, we all should be beholding for what some gave for their country, the ultimate sacrifice, their lives.

On November 11^th take a moment to step back and try and imagine just what these young solders did for us.

It was put so well by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae (1872-1918)

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.

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