Lest We Forget

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.

— Lt.-Col. John McCrae

For two weeks every year, Canadians purchase little plastic poppies to commemorate those who fought for us. They cling to our jackets but often fade quickly into the background, their meaning becoming lost in the hustle and bustle of our busy 21st century lives. It becomes all too easy to let the traditions turn into clichés and blur together; a recitation of In Flanders Fields, bugling of Last Post, and then a moment of silence. I urge you not to just go through the motions- take the time to reflect on the blessings in your life, and on the brave men and women who went through hell so that we don’t have to. All too often, we take for granted the relative security of our daily lives; I wake up every morning, hop on my bike, go to school, and return home more or less in one piece. We sleep soundly at night knowing that our families are safe, that we can enjoy the right to free speech, and that we will wake up with the same freedoms as our neighbour, regardless of our differences. Life inside that cozy bubble of good fortune tends to distract us from the fact that many people around the world do not enjoy the same rights and privileges. What’s more, were it not for the fortitude and selflessness of veterans and those who died in war for Canada, neither would we. War is incomprehensible to anyone who has not experienced it first-hand. In my cushy suburban upbringing, I have never witnessed anything that remotely resembled it, despite Hollywood’s best (and at times misguided) efforts. It is beyond my comprehension and I hope that I never have to find out what it is really like. With more and more veterans of the Second World War disappearing, there is a growing disjoint between the current generation and the sacrifices made over sixty years ago. For instance, I personally feel little connection to the War of 1812. Nearly 200 years later, its impact is still very important: if the then still-British Canadians hadn’t defeated the Americans, our country would probably look very different today and most of us would not be here. However, it is difficult to connect to it and perceive it as a real experience when it happened so long ago. Let us hope that by being proactive and keeping history alive, students 140 years from now have a greater appreciation for what happened during the First and Second World Wars, and the many other conflicts in which Canadians have served. My dad’s father was Canadian but fought in the Second World War with the British Royal Air Force (RAF). He was the pilot of a Lancaster bomber and defied the odds, surviving twenty-one missions over Europe during the final years of the war. In a line of work where the average pilot lasted only five missions, it certainly puts our own lives into perspective. When was the last time you did something with a mortality rate like that? Many students have similar stories about their grandparents or other family members who fought in the war; it was an event that to this day profoundly affects everyone, directly or indirectly. Most of the young men who went off to fight were no older than most undergraduate students here at Waterloo. Imagine if tomorrow you were plucked from your studies and sent across an ocean to fight for your country. Understandably, the soldiers would have been scared of what lay ahead, and afraid of losing what they had left behind; nevertheless, they heeded their country’s call and bravely rose to the challenge. Such selflessness and courage sometimes seems to be in short supply these days. In the increasingly crowded and shrinking little global village of ours, it is more important than ever to keep the peace and honour those who do all the hard work. The men and women currently fighting overseas in Afghanistan and Canadian peacekeepers around the world continue to uphold their country’s mission to make the world a better place. Life is fleeting; you need to make the most of every minute of it because you never know when your time will be up. Life is ultimately what you choose to do with it. The truly incredible thing is that the brave men and women who fought in the wars chose to use their precious gift of life not for themselves, but to help us. That sacrifice is priceless and we are forever indebted to them. Those who died fighting paid the ultimate price, but even the ones who returned home were changed irrevocably, having sacrificed their youth and experienced horrors that no one should ever have to face. Life is awash with difficulties and hardship, and it is impossible to face it alone; we get by with the help of those who came before us. Take a moment and pause to think about those who blazed the trail for you. Your parents, family, and friends enable you to make it through life’s struggles, which can be challenging enough without having to worry about your own safety and freedom. Above all, remember those who fought so that we could enjoy simple rights and peace. Be thankful for those with the courage and the passion to fight for what their country believes in. Canadian soldiers from World War I to Afghanistan have put their nation’s well-being and ideals ahead of their own, and for that we must be forever grateful. Remembrance Day should not come just once a year; we must hold the torch high, and always remember.