WordWeavers

Pride.

By Samuel Blondahl

When tasked by the Free Press to write a brief story on Remembrance Day, I was challenged. I have no direct connection to persons who have served save one, a grandfather I barely remember. Ralph Dent was a Canadian aircraft electrician serving with the British Royal Air Force and stationed in Libya and Egypt during World War II. I do not know his motivations for joining the RAF or the feelings he might have had regarding the war and his role in it, I can only speculate.

Libya was a part of the Italian Empire during WWII, and was the Axis staging ground for planned invasion of Egypt. The North African campaigns were centered in this region, and this position was crucial to war efforts. Any airfield would certainly have been an extremely dangerous place to work. I know that my grandfather suffered shellshock from bombings, and I know that those effects were not temporary.

As a modern Canadian, I see the world today as being very torn by social and cultural differences. We are dealing with a completely new kind of war, and a new understanding of the devastation of conflict. We have a clarity of vision thanks to media and education that gives us perspective on political and humanitarian issues. During WWII, most people would not have known anything about the Nazi camps or the horrors being inflicted upon the innocent. For him, I speculate that joining the RAF must have been about defending England, the land of his ancestors. The Dent family has a rich history in England; a Dent was close to William the conqueror, and to this day lands given by him to my family bear the name Dent. Our coat of arms even indicates that two knights served in the War of the Roses for the Lancasters. It is not much of a stretch to imagine that family pride was a part of my grandfathers reasoning. 

As for his feelings on his role there, I have the accompanying photographs he took during his time there to lend me some flash of insight. One shows two men working on a fighter’s engine, pride in their work must have existed else this photograph would likely not have survived. The other photograph shows a man working on a service car engine while two helmeted soldiers sit in the backseat. They all bear smiles and the car bears the bold statement of “Libya or bust!” Pride in their goal must have been present. They intended to overthrow the Italian rule, and bring the region under Allied control.

And so I see in these brief moments great pride. In his friends, his family, his history, his work, and his goals. For this, I am proud of him. For such things, I am proud of all who serve and sacrifice. Our peaceful country would not exist without such dedication, and but for such pride, I would not live in a world where I do not know anyone well who has had to fight for it.

The world is not perfect. We as a people struggle still with human rights and suffering. After World War II, a common slogan against genocide was “Never again!” But such cruelty has happened again, and is happening still. Congo, North Korea, the Middle East, we still fight wars, and we still fight for what we believe in. We have not solved the underlying problems of our world, but we understand them better now I think, we see them more clearly. We have the experience of our elders and we have the resources of education that they made possible for us. I believe that we will come to a time of peace through such clarity. I think I can see now a point in the future when all humankind has access to education and the benefits of human compassion. On the horizon is the goal that all those who went before fought to achieve. I am proud of us for coming this far, and I am proud of the world we are creating.

Remembrance is beautiful, but look forward also on this Remembrance Day. Consider the possibilities of the future we can achieve. From a Canadian perspective, war is fought to create peace. To end suffering and provide aid. To create a free and educated society. I live with the benefits of such a society, and I believe that someday we all will.

Be proud.

Love

By Kimberly VanderHorst

I watch the Veterans march each Remembrance Day and feel a surge of pride. I see how high their chins lift and how steady their gazes are. Despite the weight of years and the memory of war’s grief lodged in their hearts, they live on, and they remember.  

They also teach. They teach us that war isn’t just a story history has told us.

When I was younger, I flinched away from the mere sight of our Veterans, and even more from the thought of them. They made me feel uncomfortable, because their very existence reminded me the world is sometimes a hard and hurting place. And the scope of their lives, what they have done, what they have given, makes mine feel small in comparison. I felt like they had given me a gift and I’d made poor use of it.

I used to feel uncomfortable and ashamed when I saw the Veterans march. But one year that changed. I watched and felt more than just a strange mingling of pride and discomfort. I felt a sudden sense of possessiveness as I realized I wasn’t watching “the” Veterans march, I was watching “our” Veterans march.

I realized that they are ours, and we are theirs. I realized that while war is hatred given breath, service in war can be manifestation of love. And now, when I watch our Veterans march each year, the discomfort and shame are gone. Instead I feel love, and humility, and a touch of awe that these amazing men and women gave so much so we could have so much. I reexamine my life and think of ways I can shape it into something more, something that honors the example our Veterans have set.

As a mother, I have battles to fight, sacrifices to make, and love to show forth. As a wife, I have a comrade in arms whom I would give my all and my everything for. As a friend, I freely give my time, my patience, my compassion. As a member of a community, I have talents to share, respect to give, and support to offer.

Watching our Veterans march helps me focus on becoming the sort of woman who can watch without the slightest hint of shame. I want to meet their steady gazes and nod in quiet acceptance of the gift they have given. I want to honor that gift by continuing to shape my life with kindness, tolerance, and a desire to give service whenever and however it is needed.

I can think of no better way to honor the men and women who have served us, than to serve each other in such a way that there can be no war among us.