For the past 7 years in this space I have brought you news about Remembrance Day activities in the greater Victoria BC area.
Sadly far too many in the earlier days, like today, will see yet another long weekend to enjoy. Little thought will go into the very meaning of the sacrifices that ought to be in their minds on this, and a handful of other days in the year.
Today's title says it all!
US Army Staff Sergeant Christiana Ball a soldier and an entertainer, was part of an entertainment special at the White House a few years back and sang this song for President Obama and others.
It indeed does tell it all and while I have provided a link to the song in the past, I feel it appropriate to again bring it to you.
Please turn on your speakers and go to this link, and return after you hear it. You might want to listen to it several times and pay close attention to her message.
Here is the link... www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dBPAmP1Sa4
Closer to home, back again at Victoria, several blogs have brought you news of the Afghanistan memorial. Christiana's words are crystal clear when you look at the local memorial and over 160 names of Canadians who gave their all during our 12 year mission.
Sadly far too many in the earlier days, like today, will see yet another long weekend to enjoy. Little thought will go into the very meaning of the sacrifices that ought to be in their minds on this, and a handful of other days in the year.
Today's title says it all!
US Army Staff Sergeant Christiana Ball a soldier and an entertainer, was part of an entertainment special at the White House a few years back and sang this song for President Obama and others.
It indeed does tell it all and while I have provided a link to the song in the past, I feel it appropriate to again bring it to you.
Please turn on your speakers and go to this link, and return after you hear it. You might want to listen to it several times and pay close attention to her message.
Here is the link... www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dBPAmP1Sa4
Closer to home, back again at Victoria, several blogs have brought you news of the Afghanistan memorial. Christiana's words are crystal clear when you look at the local memorial and over 160 names of Canadians who gave their all during our 12 year mission.
Well over 1000 in the serving military, Afghanistan and other war veterans, cadets, many dignitaries including very high ranking military officers, politicians, the Lt Governor of BC and even the Afghanistan Ambassador to Canada were joined by family members of some of the lost warriors in attendance.
At the September 2017 unveiling the public were invited to place their own poppies on both sides of the memorial, one being in English the other in French. The names of the fallen, including 5 women, are listen alphabetically and travel around both sides of the base.
In the lower image in the first line, though unreadable in this image, is the name of 21 yr. old Karine Blais from Quebec. She was only in Kandahar 2 weeks when killed by a roadside bomb. A few lines down contains the name of 23 year old medic Andrew Eykelenboom from the Comox area of Vancouver Island. The medic was serving with a convoy on the move when attacked by a suicide bomber who's truck crashed into the convoy. His was the first Can adian death of a Medic in action since the war in Korea.
Today there will be 2 separate groups visiting the memorial in the downtown area of Victoria, just a few blocks away from the Legislative Buildings and main Remembrance ceremonies at 11 a.m.
At the September 2017 unveiling the public were invited to place their own poppies on both sides of the memorial, one being in English the other in French. The names of the fallen, including 5 women, are listen alphabetically and travel around both sides of the base.
In the lower image in the first line, though unreadable in this image, is the name of 21 yr. old Karine Blais from Quebec. She was only in Kandahar 2 weeks when killed by a roadside bomb. A few lines down contains the name of 23 year old medic Andrew Eykelenboom from the Comox area of Vancouver Island. The medic was serving with a convoy on the move when attacked by a suicide bomber who's truck crashed into the convoy. His was the first Can adian death of a Medic in action since the war in Korea.
Today there will be 2 separate groups visiting the memorial in the downtown area of Victoria, just a few blocks away from the Legislative Buildings and main Remembrance ceremonies at 11 a.m.
And speaking of Remembrance, regular readers of these blogs will recall the several stories in this space a year ago about the Municipality of Saanich (which borders of the City of Victoria.) Last year it unveiled about 30 memorial signs along Shelbourne Street. This major North South corridor was designated after WW1 as the first ever Street of Remembrance in Canada and plans called for the planting of one London Plane tree for every soldier killed in that war.
But after several hundred trees were planted things came to an end. Over the years many of them died and still more were later removed for street widening. The Memorial Avenue anticipated came to one far short of what was called for.
Plans of late are attempting to deal with replacing trees. But in the mean time the 30 Memorial Avenue signs have been mounted along the street with still more to come.
Over the last few weeks there has been an addition with the inclusion of about 16 more signs now on the south end of Shelbourne Street, which is in the city of Victoria.
Above we see the former mayor of Saanich, the then and current area MLA and a representative of the native community unveiling one of the new memorial signs along the north end of Shelbourne.
But after several hundred trees were planted things came to an end. Over the years many of them died and still more were later removed for street widening. The Memorial Avenue anticipated came to one far short of what was called for.
Plans of late are attempting to deal with replacing trees. But in the mean time the 30 Memorial Avenue signs have been mounted along the street with still more to come.
Over the last few weeks there has been an addition with the inclusion of about 16 more signs now on the south end of Shelbourne Street, which is in the city of Victoria.
Above we see the former mayor of Saanich, the then and current area MLA and a representative of the native community unveiling one of the new memorial signs along the north end of Shelbourne.
A few days ago, on November 8th a brief ceremony for the unveiling of 16 more memorial signs was held by the city of Victoria. Here we see Patty Stockten, 1st Vice President of the Trafalgar Pro Pat Branch of the Royal Canadian Legion, Victoria acting Mayor Marianne Alto and BC/Yukon Chair of the Victoria Remembrance Day Poppy Fund standing below the first memorial sign mounted in Victoria, at the south end of Shelbourne Street near Pembroke.
While the event marked the 100th anniversary of the first Armistice, I was disappointed to see that only about 4 dozen officials and members of the public attended. Not sure why, by the occasion should have been much better attended.
The small park where this took place had a number of white birch trees. I am fond of these as I grew up on family property that had several of these. And those gathered got quite a hoot when discovering a guest hiding in one one of these.
While the event marked the 100th anniversary of the first Armistice, I was disappointed to see that only about 4 dozen officials and members of the public attended. Not sure why, by the occasion should have been much better attended.
The small park where this took place had a number of white birch trees. I am fond of these as I grew up on family property that had several of these. And those gathered got quite a hoot when discovering a guest hiding in one one of these.
Perhaps he/she was also unimpressed with the size of the audience!
This morning, as per the last dozen or more years, I will be attending a brief ceremony at the grave site of WW1 Victoria Cross recipient Rowland Bourke here in Victoria. Here is the marker I helped others to have erected several years ago in honor of this Canadian hero.
This morning, as per the last dozen or more years, I will be attending a brief ceremony at the grave site of WW1 Victoria Cross recipient Rowland Bourke here in Victoria. Here is the marker I helped others to have erected several years ago in honor of this Canadian hero.
I shall end with a poem, which I believe I brought to you also last year. It tells the plight of the veterans so well and deserves to yet again be brought forth.
And finally this image says it all...
Please share this blog with like minded folks.
I'll be back on Sunday,
Bart
I'll be back on Sunday,
Bart
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