Remembrance Day...Lest We Forget

A day of remembering events in the past.  A day of remembering those who served, those who died, those who lived.  A day of remembering so we learn from history's lessons.

For most of us reading this blog, the events of World War I and II, and the Korean War are 'pre-history'.  They occurred in distant lands.  Relating to these events is difficult.  Perhaps we have relatives or family friends who fought in these conflicts and we have heard some of their stories.  Of course there have been many other wars fought in our time.
I have found that visiting sites that have significance in efforts to make or keep peace have had a profound effect on me.

I remember the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, D.C.  What a moving place!  You can go there at any time of day and there are people there.  Many of them moved to tears.  Seeing the names on the wall is mind boggling...the number of lives lost in that war.

My first time in London, I remember going into the tube and realizing that I was standing in what was a bomb shelter in World War II.  Seeing pock marks from where shells hit buildings particularly around Whitehall (the government area) had a long-lasting impact on me.
My first time travelling into France I landed in Dunkerque.  There I got to see the remains of some of the bunkers and installations used in World War II.
More recently, I have been by the Highway of Heroes as a motorcade escorting one of Canada's fallen soldiers in Afghanistan was being repatriated.  This was current, happening at that moment.
These events and others made war real for me.  It was not just something I read about, or in the case of Vietnam also saw on TV.
Observing this day can be done in many ways.  Whatever you do...take the time to remember at 11:00 a.m.  Lest we forget.