Oh Canada
Happy Canada Day! For approximately 36 million Canadians around our vast country, from the 3 territories in the north and the provinces in the west coast to the east coast, all the way down to the southern region where I live, we are celebrating this country's 149th birthday!
"Oh Canada, our home and native land" this is the first verse in our national anthem. We all learned it in school and sang it every day, along with saying the Lords Prayer during our morning opening exercises. We knew them both by memory and we were proud when we did.
Canada has had its fair share of criticism over the years for not taking the stand other countries think it should take. John G Diefenbaker, our 13th Prime Minister quoted the best rebuttal to all of these claims. "I am a Canadian, free to speak without fear, free to worship in my own way, free to stand for what I think right, free to oppose what I believe wrong, or free to choose those who shall govern my country. This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for myself and all mankind."
Canada has experienced its own share of war and death. When England declared war against Germany on August 4, 1914, Canada was there! In October of the same year, Canada sent it's first contingent of troops, sailing across the Atlantic to England. This war was the bloodiest Canada had ever kown and 61,000 Canadians sacrificed their life on foreign land. This was the the Great War the war to end all wars. However, on Septemper 1, 1939 England yet again declared war on Germany. By September 10, 1939, Canada's first contingency was once again sailing to aid England. Bloodier than the first by far, Canada sent over 1,159,000 men and women, of those, 55,000 were injured, and 44,090 lost their lives in a land that wasn't their home. Korea had help from 26,000 Canadian soldiers in 1950-53, where 516 of our countrymen died during the 3 year conflict.
Canada has always been one of the first countries to help in times of trouble, and Canadian citizens acting on their own volition volunteered to help fight in Vietnam in 1973. Canada's duties were officially just peace keeping, however, 30,000 Canadians went to assist in that unwinnable war. One American Marine, when asked about the American draft dodgers was quoted as saying "The worst of ours are going north and the best of yours are coming south", meaning the 30,000 Americans who escaped to Canada to avoid the draft were replaced by brave Canadians willing to help their southern cousins in the states.
There have been other wars and conflicts, like the Iraqi war in the 90's and the war in the middle east that Canada entered and once more lost precious Canadian lives. There are still Canadian soldiers there today, and they continue to lose their lives on occasion due to being ambushed and suicide bombers all in the name of peace!
We Canadians are a proud, but not boastful nation. We love our country, our flag and we stand at attention during Oh Canada. We remember our citizens that fought in all wars and we wear a red poppy to commemorate the sacrifices made by those brave men and women. We visit the cenotaph, and stand quietly and humbly at the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month to honour and remember the lost souls and to thank the ones who survived in body, but contine to carry the unbrarable emotional scars of war that forever haunt them. We hope and pray please God never again.
Today is July 1, 2016 and thankfully we are not participating in a conflict at the moment.
So, Happy Birthday Canada! The true north strong and free, from far and wide Oh Canada! We stand on guard for thee! We love you Canada!
"Oh Canada, our home and native land" this is the first verse in our national anthem. We all learned it in school and sang it every day, along with saying the Lords Prayer during our morning opening exercises. We knew them both by memory and we were proud when we did.
Canada has had its fair share of criticism over the years for not taking the stand other countries think it should take. John G Diefenbaker, our 13th Prime Minister quoted the best rebuttal to all of these claims. "I am a Canadian, free to speak without fear, free to worship in my own way, free to stand for what I think right, free to oppose what I believe wrong, or free to choose those who shall govern my country. This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for myself and all mankind."
Canada has experienced its own share of war and death. When England declared war against Germany on August 4, 1914, Canada was there! In October of the same year, Canada sent it's first contingent of troops, sailing across the Atlantic to England. This war was the bloodiest Canada had ever kown and 61,000 Canadians sacrificed their life on foreign land. This was the the Great War the war to end all wars. However, on Septemper 1, 1939 England yet again declared war on Germany. By September 10, 1939, Canada's first contingency was once again sailing to aid England. Bloodier than the first by far, Canada sent over 1,159,000 men and women, of those, 55,000 were injured, and 44,090 lost their lives in a land that wasn't their home. Korea had help from 26,000 Canadian soldiers in 1950-53, where 516 of our countrymen died during the 3 year conflict.
Canada has always been one of the first countries to help in times of trouble, and Canadian citizens acting on their own volition volunteered to help fight in Vietnam in 1973. Canada's duties were officially just peace keeping, however, 30,000 Canadians went to assist in that unwinnable war. One American Marine, when asked about the American draft dodgers was quoted as saying "The worst of ours are going north and the best of yours are coming south", meaning the 30,000 Americans who escaped to Canada to avoid the draft were replaced by brave Canadians willing to help their southern cousins in the states.
There have been other wars and conflicts, like the Iraqi war in the 90's and the war in the middle east that Canada entered and once more lost precious Canadian lives. There are still Canadian soldiers there today, and they continue to lose their lives on occasion due to being ambushed and suicide bombers all in the name of peace!
We Canadians are a proud, but not boastful nation. We love our country, our flag and we stand at attention during Oh Canada. We remember our citizens that fought in all wars and we wear a red poppy to commemorate the sacrifices made by those brave men and women. We visit the cenotaph, and stand quietly and humbly at the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month to honour and remember the lost souls and to thank the ones who survived in body, but contine to carry the unbrarable emotional scars of war that forever haunt them. We hope and pray please God never again.
Today is July 1, 2016 and thankfully we are not participating in a conflict at the moment.
So, Happy Birthday Canada! The true north strong and free, from far and wide Oh Canada! We stand on guard for thee! We love you Canada!
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