On the 11 hour of the 11 day of the 11 month, we remembered and it was great to see all seats filled at the Remembrance Day service last week.
For the veterans I imagine it must be a day full of memories and mixed emotions, both good and bad. On this day every year, we pause in memory of the millions of men and women who sacrificed their lives through military service.
For 92 years, those in Commonwealth countries around the world have gathered together to pay tribute to fallen soldiers in a growing list of conflicts from World War I and World War II, to the Korean War and the current war in Afghanistan.
Remembrance Day was first held throughout the Commonwealth in 1919 to recognize the armistice to put an end to World War I. The truce came into effect at 11 a.m. on Nov. 11, 1918.
Private George Lawrence Price, who was born at Falmouth, Nova Scotia on Dec. 15, 1892 would become the last Commonwealth soldier to be killed in battle. Sadly, just two minutes before the cease fire, 25 year old Price was killed at Ville-sur-Haine Belgium, joining more than 66,000 Canadians who lost their lives during World War I. Price was enlisted for just one year.
About 650,000 Canadians served during the World War I. The last Canadian veteran of the conflict, John Henry Foster Babcock, died in February 2010 at the age of 109. Babcock was born at Holleford, Ontario on July 23, 1900. He served in World War I for two years and was a member of 146 Young Soldiers Battalion
The total number of participating personnel is estimated at 65,038,810 and there were approximately 9,750,100 service men and women who lost their lives during World War I.
Between the declaration of the World War II in September 1939 and the end of the war in 1945, more than one million Canadians served in the Army, Air Force and Navy. More than 47,000 did not return home.
Canadian troops also played a crucial role in the June 6, 1944 D-Day invasion. More than 160,000 allied troops landed along a 50 mile stretch of heavily fortified French coast line to fight Germany on the beaches of Normandy. More than 9,000 allied troops were killed or wounded; more than 100,000 subsequently began the march across Europe.
The Canadian Army went on to play a significant part in the liberation of the Netherlands, which ended in 1945.
By the end of World War II, over 60 million people had lost their lives, 45,400 of them Canadian. According to Veterans Affairs Canada, today, surviving World War II veterans number 143,700, with an average age of 87.
In Korea, 26,791 Canadians served during the war than continued from 1950 to 1953. Canada sent 26,791 troops to fight in Korea. There were 1,558 Canadian casualties, including 516 dead.
During 2001, Canada joined a U.S. led coalition in Afghanistan. Since, 158 members of the Canadian Forces have been killed.
While Remembrance Day is very important, we should remember the sacrifices made by millions of men and women, every day ... we will remember them.