Remembrance Day articles and thoughts

[Regulator75]

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/11...Canada+Alberta

[icarus]

The poppies at the Tower were pretty amazing. It was a lot more vast than I was expecting. The crowds were enormous but I'm glad I went.

On the weekend I went up to a memorial service at the long defunct RAF Tempsford where my grandfather flew Halifaxes for the 138 RAF squadon in WWII, one of two special forces squadrons which specialised in dropping agents behind enemy lines and supplies to the resistance. It was great to meet vets and relatives of vets from his airbase, including the last commander of the airfield who amazingly is still alive and kicking. A highlight was finding a photo in the little museum there showing the flight board on the night of 9/10 April 1944 and I could find his name alongside the times of his take off and return. Cross-referencing with his flight log, that was his first flight with that squadron.

[Komskies]

Is there an online database where I could search out my grandfather's service records? He was a member of the PPCLI and spent some time at the end of the War in the Netherlands. I really don't know any detailed information about his time in the military and I'd love to learn more.

[Northendzone]

A friends wife posted pictures of rocks a family member collected during his tour of duty in wwii. The rocks were marked with places and dates....pretty solemn and tangible reminder of some very difficult days.

I usually watch the telecast from Ottawa, and when the last post is played and the camera pans over the various vets it never fails to make me realize how much they gave.

[undercoverbrother]

I went to the service in town, thought about my experience and the two men in my signature.

[undercoverbrother]

While this is an old article, the battle still goes on:

http://globalnews.ca/news/1218338/ot...deral-lawyers/

http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/vets-de...-too-1.2098050

This is a particular damning portion:

But Blais said the New Veterans Charter continues to leave families behind, and will not provide, for example, for the family of reservist Cpl. Nathan Cirillo, who was shot and killed while standing guard at the National War Memorial last month.
“I look over there where Cpl. Cirillo was heinously murdered, knowing that his family will not receive the death benefits that I would, or a regular force member would,” Blais said, speaking in front of the National War Memorial. “It’s just hard on me sitting here, watching government officials lay wreaths.”