The Maple Leaf Is Falling
https://terrybachynski.bandcamp.com/track/the-maple-leaf-is-falling
Terry wrote the song (cut and paste the link above) as a tribute to our Canadian soldiers who fought abroad……
Today we honour the brave.
Today we bow our heads for the many who have gone before us to fight for our rights and freedoms.
We probably all know of relatives (or of acquaintances) who have personal experiences of fighting for our country. My father was in the R.A.F. and can be seen in the photos below.
For most of us, we think about these things perhaps one day a year, today, Remembrance Day.
But if we read the news, war is not a thing of the past. The planet seems to be in a constant state of war somewhere.
We crave peace and those of us who live in Canada are so far blessed to live a life of freedom….not freedom from the pandemic of course….but freedom from war. Canada does not currently have mandatory conscription , the Canadian Armed Forces are voluntary services.
Facts :“During the South African War (1899–1902), several thousand Canadians volunteered to fight for the British Empire overseas. Conscription for Canada’s limited war effort in South Africa had therefore not been necessary. The same was true during the early years of the First World War. From 1914 to 1915, some 330,000 Canadian willingly enlisted to fight against the Germans in France and Belgium.”
“After D-Day operations and the Normandy campaign in 1944, J.L. Ralston, the minister of national defence, was convinced of the need for overseas conscription. Unexpectedly high casualties on the front, combined with a large commitment of manpower to the Royal Canadian Air Force and Royal Canadian Navy, left the Canadian Army short of recruits.”
“After conscription during the Second World War, the term “zombie” was used to describe the 60,000 men drafted under the National Resources Mobilization Act who had not volunteered for active service overseas. It was a derogatory term used to shame conscripted soldiers.Only 12,908 conscripted soldiers, disparagingly known as zombies, were sent to fight abroad. This was a tiny number compared with the hundreds of thousands of Canadian volunteers, including French Canadians, who fought overseas. Only 2,463 reached the front lines before Germany surrendered in May 1945. “ (The Canadian Encyclopedia)
Check out my Dad, Mum, (Dad again in the middle near the plane), and an original Canadian recruitment poster/ 1939-1945 below.
Canadians recognize Remembrance Day, originally called Armistice Day, every November 11th at 11 a.m. It marks the end of hostilities during the First World War and an opportunity to recall all those who have served in the nation's defence.
Oh, Canada. How I am proud to live in this country and thankful to all those who have generously given of their lives for us and for others around the world in a quest for peace.
