November 11, 1918
 

I hope everybody has the chance to take a couple of minutes to remember the men and women who have sacrificed their lives for the beliefs and values that make us Canadian.

As time goes on, it becomes less and less relevant; less real. We forget what happened and then turn quickly to war to solve disputes.

Please don't let that happen. Please don't treat this like "A Day Off".

And if you have any influence at all, please do your best to stop the recent trend of businesses staying open on Remembrance Day. Don't go shopping.

Please, as a personal favour to me.

As for me, I am going to get drunk with some veterans and listen to their war stories. The act of "Passing the Torch" is important to those guys, and is not just a line in the famous poem.

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y14...1/f7ad7a71.jpghttp://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y14...uilding046.jpg

How about if we give you some of these instead of shopping...

http://www.tiger-photographic.com/red_poppy002.jpg

Thanks for reminding us how important this day is. I grew up in America and am now going to school in Montreal, and I really didn't understand what the day was for when I first got here. It's nice to know that some people still hold the kind of respect they should for the people who make our happiness possible.

They shall not grow old as we that are left grow old
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn,
At the going down of the sun and in the morning,
We Will Remember Them.
We Will Remember Them.

If some of you have not been there yet, here are two picutres I took at the National War Museum in Ottawa last August.

First, the Hall of Rememberance. At 1111hrs tomorrow the sun will shine in an illuminate that headstone. I think it would really be something to see.
http://telusplanet.net/public/markus...%20(Large).jpg

And a statue used as a model to a memorial at Vimy Ridge (so I am told).
http://telusplanet.net/public/markus...%20(Large).jpg

And like Ben, I would like to remind everyone to take two minutes out of their day tomorrow and remember those who gave for what they belived in.

I for one plan on being at the Japanese-Canadian Memorial in Stanley Park Vancouver tomorrow.


Lest we Forget.

I took my step son to the War Museum on Monday.

We stopped first at the Memorial Hall - where the headstone of the Unknown Soldier is. It was very moving. Already people have begun to place poppies on it much like they do at his resting place at the Centotaph.

Sadly, I will not be in Ottawa tomorrow. I'm very upset as I believe tomorrow will be a very special day - with it being the Year of the Veteran.

This is only the 3rd National Ceremony that I have missed in 30 years...

At 10:55 tomorrow, I will get up from my desk and go outside to enjoy the late autumn air, look at the geese flying in the sky and take a moment to remember those who have served and those who have fallen.

Please take a chance to do the same.

The eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month... I actually thought about that yesterday driving up to Seattle.

Tomorrow I think I'll watch Paths of Glory - one of the finest WW I movies ever made.