Each November, Canadians are asked to pause for a few moments out of their busy lives, and pay tribute in some way to the men and women who have served this country and defended it in war, and helped other nations become a more peaceful society through their peacekeeping efforts.
The tradition grew out of the First World War, which was nearly a century ago, and ended on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month when the Armistice took effect.
This Armistice unfortunately did not end hostilities as some hoped it would, once and for all, as wars and other conflicts have raged on and off throughout the 20th century to the present day, thus necessitating the presence of men and women in the Canadian Armed Forces to bring about peace in such nations as Afghanistan.
While there is a need to defend this nation and her sovereignty, or to defend the helpless in war-torn regions of the world, our Air Force, Army and Navy will continue to have a role to serve, both domestically and abroad. For those of us who enjoy our freedom and make a life for ourselves within the peaceful arms of our country, it is not asking too much to pause on Nov. 11 and offer our thanks and gratitude for the efforts of our men and women in uniform.
In addition, we need to remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, both in the peacekeeping efforts currently ongoing, but in the conflicts of the past which helped shape the history of our nation and its development, such as the First and Second World Wars, the Korean conflict, the Vietnam War, and innumerable other conflicts such as those in the former Yugoslavia, in Rwanda, in Cyprus, in Syria and throughout the Middle East, just to name a few.
Many people consider Remembrance Day as nothing more as a day to sleep in and do chores around the house or watch TV or whatever else they want to do on their day off work; they don't consider it all that important to stand at the cenotaph as wreaths are laid, to hear the words at the service about the sacrifice of others on their behalf.
People should realize, however, as they take it easy on their day off, that the freedoms they are enjoying, along with such freedoms as free speech, the freedom to assemble for worship, the freedom live one's life as one wants, came at a dear price, paid for over the years by men and women just like themselves.
