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Remembrance Day History
Every year in Canada, the 11th of
November is celebrated as Remembrance Day, a day on which the country
honors the fallen of all wars and conflicts where Canadian men and
women have participated.
It became a day in which to honor
soldiers after their sacrifices in WWI. The period of 1914-1918 was a
time of tremendous losses for Canadian forces, who sent more than half
a million soldiers overseas, to have nearly 70,000 never return and
more than twice that, be wounded in the trenches. The battles at Vimy
Ridge, Passchendaele and Ypres, are legendary in Canadian history
books. Faced with the first "chemical" weapon, a nerve gas, the forces
fought on.
Remembrance Day was originally known as Armistice Day, since it is
celebrated on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, the
exact time that arms were laid down, for the last time. But only for
that conflict.
Many enduring images and stories remain from WWI, with perhaps the
most famous, being the poem written by Lt. Col. John McCrae. "Flanders
Field" is synonymous with Remembrance Day, and is recited every year
by children and veterans. It was also a key element in having the
poppy adopted as a symbol of remembrance for those who served in wars,
in most Commonwealth countries. McCrae was moved to pen the words,
after seeing the poppies growing on a friend's grave. But they were
not recently planted, nor purposely grown there. Poppies on fields of
battle were recorded as far back as the Napoleonic Wars.
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