On the eleventh day of the eleventh month, at the eleventh hour, 1918, the armistice of the Great War was signed.
Since the confederation began, Canada has participated in all major conflicts, from the first world war to the Gulf, and every single peacekeeping mission undertaken.
This nation has staged countless invasions, and has yet never claimed for itself a single tract of land that did not belong to it. It has seen countless battles, and yet has never held a grudge when peace accords were signed. It has proved itself at Vimy, where no American, British, or French soldiers could penetrate, but we did. At Juno, where it made the deepest penetration of allied forces on D-Day, faced with the second most fierce opposition, only one battalion strong, and having the only unit to reach its D-Day objective.
From the inception of the Peacekeeper's by Lester B. Pearson, whos name christens countless schools and government buildings, she has participated in every mission to bring peace and prosperity to impoverished and warring nations in the world, and has welcomed those who have fled their homes with open arms.
She was responsible for the inception of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and had it not been for her servants, the diplomats, insitence, the United States could not be counted as a founding member.
She began the crusade to abolish land mines, and has refused nuclear armament, preferring to lead through example in times of peace, though in times of war she shows a fury unequal to only whatever God may rest on high.
Since World War II, not one of her soldiers that was not a volunteer has been sent into a combat zone, though scores of men and women stood in line voluntarily, for their chance to do the right thing.
She has never acted agressively, and has only declared war when the suffering has been intolerable. She has only been invaded once, in 1812, and she drove back the Americans with such a passion that the White House was lit aflame.
She is a country of peace, of love, a matriarch to all her citizens, born here or abroad, who has not shown fear in the face of enemy, but raised her rod to smite those who would harm the innocent.
She is honoured by the brave souls, scores upon scores, who lined up with free will to serve her, to those who would never come back, to those who would live forever with the memory, the memory of mustard gas turning men's lungs into caustic acid, the memory of the flooded flatlands of Holland, the memory of bombed out streets of London.
She is honoured by the United Nations, who has time and time again, called her the greatest nation on the face of the earth -- for her brave actions in wars, her loving actions in times of peace, and her neutral arbitration in times of civil conflicts.
A Canadian by the name of Lt.-Colonel John McCrae, a graduate of the University of Toronto, a doctor, a surgeon attached to the 1st Artillery Brigade, wrote a beautiful poem.
In Flanders Fields
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.
Today, November 11th, we, the Canadians, as well as the Australians, have Remembrance Day. To the south, Veterans Day. And when the sun rises tomorrow on the United Kingdom, it will be Remembrance Sunday.
When the Armistice was signed 82 years ago today, we proclaimed as a world, "never again"... but it has happened again, to many times to count.
But again and again, our antecendants have come forth to lay down so nobly their lives, so that we, and all people like us, may have a chance to live, no matter how unworthy we may be.
Remember not only those who died before us, but remember why.
[This message was edited by Mojo.the.Bad on Nov 11, 2000 at 04:22.]
Since the confederation began, Canada has participated in all major conflicts, from the first world war to the Gulf, and every single peacekeeping mission undertaken.
This nation has staged countless invasions, and has yet never claimed for itself a single tract of land that did not belong to it. It has seen countless battles, and yet has never held a grudge when peace accords were signed. It has proved itself at Vimy, where no American, British, or French soldiers could penetrate, but we did. At Juno, where it made the deepest penetration of allied forces on D-Day, faced with the second most fierce opposition, only one battalion strong, and having the only unit to reach its D-Day objective.
From the inception of the Peacekeeper's by Lester B. Pearson, whos name christens countless schools and government buildings, she has participated in every mission to bring peace and prosperity to impoverished and warring nations in the world, and has welcomed those who have fled their homes with open arms.
She was responsible for the inception of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and had it not been for her servants, the diplomats, insitence, the United States could not be counted as a founding member.
She began the crusade to abolish land mines, and has refused nuclear armament, preferring to lead through example in times of peace, though in times of war she shows a fury unequal to only whatever God may rest on high.
Since World War II, not one of her soldiers that was not a volunteer has been sent into a combat zone, though scores of men and women stood in line voluntarily, for their chance to do the right thing.
She has never acted agressively, and has only declared war when the suffering has been intolerable. She has only been invaded once, in 1812, and she drove back the Americans with such a passion that the White House was lit aflame.
She is a country of peace, of love, a matriarch to all her citizens, born here or abroad, who has not shown fear in the face of enemy, but raised her rod to smite those who would harm the innocent.
She is honoured by the brave souls, scores upon scores, who lined up with free will to serve her, to those who would never come back, to those who would live forever with the memory, the memory of mustard gas turning men's lungs into caustic acid, the memory of the flooded flatlands of Holland, the memory of bombed out streets of London.
She is honoured by the United Nations, who has time and time again, called her the greatest nation on the face of the earth -- for her brave actions in wars, her loving actions in times of peace, and her neutral arbitration in times of civil conflicts.
A Canadian by the name of Lt.-Colonel John McCrae, a graduate of the University of Toronto, a doctor, a surgeon attached to the 1st Artillery Brigade, wrote a beautiful poem.
In Flanders Fields
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.
Today, November 11th, we, the Canadians, as well as the Australians, have Remembrance Day. To the south, Veterans Day. And when the sun rises tomorrow on the United Kingdom, it will be Remembrance Sunday.
When the Armistice was signed 82 years ago today, we proclaimed as a world, "never again"... but it has happened again, to many times to count.
But again and again, our antecendants have come forth to lay down so nobly their lives, so that we, and all people like us, may have a chance to live, no matter how unworthy we may be.
Remember not only those who died before us, but remember why.
[This message was edited by Mojo.the.Bad on Nov 11, 2000 at 04:22.]