Remembrance Day 2009

On Monday, November 11th, 1918, the Allies and Germany signed an armistice agreement in Paris, France at 5:00 AM (Paris time). At 11:00 AM hostilities ceased and WWI was over. On November 6th, 1919, Sir George Foster, acting Prime Minister of Canada, rose in the House of Commons to read a message from King George V, addressing "all the peoples of the Empire":

Tuesday next, November 11th, is the first anniversary of the armistice which stayed the world-wide carnage of the four preceding years, and marked the victory of right and freedom. I believe that my people in every part of the Empire fervently wish to perpetuate the memory of that great deliverance and of those who laid down their lives to achieve it.

To afford an opportunity for the universal expression of this feeling it is my desire and hope that at the hour when the armistice came into force, the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, there may be for the brief space of two minutes a complete suspension of all our normal activities. During that time, except in the rare cases where this might be impractical, all work, all sound and all locomotion should cease, so that in perfect stillness the thoughts of every one may be concentrated on reverent remembrance of the glorious dead.

We are 91 years since the end of the "War to end all wars", 20 years (plus two days) since the fall of the Berlin Wall. Lots to remember this year.

Remembrance Day has a lot of meaning for me. As a child it was an important part of our school activities. We drew or coloured pictures, we memorised, "In Flander's Fields", sometimes we had a field trip before the day at a war museum or special memorial, we had a service/assembly, and a moment of silence at 1100 hours. The assemblies continue at schools today, although there seems to be less emphasis to commemorate and teach about the importance of this day. It is now a general holiday in Alberta so we will take a moment of silence at home.

Today I will also take time to remember three special people from my life. My daddy, Andrew Ian McCann, who passed away on Easter Sunday 1996, My step-dad, Ivan Michael Zaitsoff, who passed away October 5th, 2008, and a beloved high school teacher, Phil McKay, who passed away yesterday of pancreatic cancer. Rest in peace, each of you have had a bigger impact on my life that you will ever know. To Mr. McKay's family I send my prayers and thoughts.

Green Day ~ 21 Guns

Songwriters: Armstrong, Billie Joe; Bowie, David; Pritchard, Michael; Wright, Frank E., Iii

Do you know what's worth fighting for?
When it's not worth dying for?
Does it take your breath away
And you feel yourself suffocating?

Does the pain weigh out the pride?
And you look for a place to hide?
Did someone break your heart inside?
You're in ruins

One, 21 guns
Lay down your arms, give up the fight
One, 21 guns
Throw up your arms into the sky, you and I

When you're at the end of the road
And you lost all sense of control
And your thoughts have taken their toll
When your mind breaks the spirit of your soul

Your faith walks on broken glass
And the hangover doesn't pass
Nothing's ever built to last
You're in ruins

One, 21 guns
Lay down your arms, give up the fight
One, 21 guns
Throw up your arms into the sky, you and I

Did you try to live on your own
When you burned down the house and home?
Did you stand too close to the fire
Like a liar looking for forgiveness from a stone?

When it's time to live and let die
And you can't get another try
Something inside this heart has died
You're in ruins

One, 21 guns
Lay down your arms, give up the fight
One, 21 guns
Throw up your arms into the sky

One, 21 guns
Lay down your arms, give up the fight
One, 21 guns
Throw up your arms into the sky, you and I