"Those who serve . . ."

November 11^th. marks the day that Canada has chosen to honour not only its war dead, but all those men and women who answered their nation’s call in defense of liberty. We call it Remembrance Day. In other countries, the name of the occasion, the date of its observance, or even the details of its history may vary. The message however remains the same.

In 1945, The First Canadian Army under the command of General H.D.G. Crerar liberated the country where I was subsequently born. To some, that is history. To me, that is personal. Very personal. I know for a fact that were it not for those soldiers, I would not be here today.

In trying to find the words to give my thanks, I found those of one who summed up my feelings better than I could ever hope to do. Since its 2001 abbreviated version was published in a local newpaper, the author has been kind enough to provide me not only with the complete text, but also with his permission to publish the same. To him, my deepest appreciation. It may be found below under the title "Why Do We Remember?"

This site is my thanks to those soldiers of bygone years. It is also my tribute to all men and women in uniform, who have and to this day continue to risk their lives to protect those of others. Lastly, it is a recognition of the service being performed by my son-in-law who is stationed in Germany as a proud member of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers.