101 years of Remembrance Days: what we remember and what we keep forgetting

Last year, 100 years after the signing of the Armistice that ended World War I, I posted this piece about the soldiers and sacrifices we remember and the lessons we seem to have forgotten. I am reposting it because it seems even more relevant a year on. The one thing at least some countries and their leaders had learned – sort of, kind of – in the unbelievable aftermath of two World Wars within a few decades, is that working together to solve problems and learning to compromise for the greater good has the capacity to engender peace and prosperity. Any expectation of government leaders working together on behalf of a greater good now seems to have run its course, at least with the current leadership of the world’s most powerful (and power hungry) countries.

As most of us pause this Remembrance Day weekend to remember those who sacrificed everything so that we could have freedom and peace, keep in mind how badly that dream of a peaceful and mutual understanding world has been lost in the past few years. Sad beyond belief.

This year, as always, I remember all of my parents’ Generation who fought in WWII, those soldiers who have served bravely in wars and similar extreme situations, none of which were of their making nor the innocent “enemy” citizens, and of my high school friend, George Cressy, who served so bravely in Vietnam.

Robby Robin's Journey

November 11, 2018. One hundred years since the signing of the. Armistice that ended World War I.  One hundred years of remembering the many, many sacrifices made by millions upon millions of people. Horrific sacrifices. Heartbreaking sacrifices. For far too many, the ultimate sacrifice. Sacrifices made by countless young people – on both “sides” – who had little or nothing to do with the decisions that led to the war in the first place.

What we remember

Every year in most towns and cities in Canada, and I assume most places in the western world, people of all generations come together to honour those who have served and those who have laid down their lives in past wars, especially WWI. Our town happens to be located in close proximity to Base Gagetown, the largest military training base in Canada, and as a result we have an extremely impressive and moving…

View original post 1,012 more words