J.O. Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 A nice story featuring one of our colleagues in ATC. The louts who committed the vandalism in New Brunswick should take a tour of the graveyards in Europe with this man. Sadly, they probably wouldn't see the point. By Andrea Janus, CTV.ca News Date: Tuesday Nov. 10, 2009 7:12 AM ET One would think Joël Morin would have grown up a history buff, having an army major for a father who landed on the beaches of France on D-Day. Not so, says the 54-year-old air traffic control manager from Edmonton, who felt that history lessons were nothing more than a boring exercise in memorizing names and dates and places. But things changed when he travelled to Europe and had the opportunity to visit the memorials and cemeteries that permeate the landscapes of France and Belgium. An avid photographer, Morin was so moved by what he saw that he took countless pictures at military cemeteries in Flanders, the Vimy Ridge memorial and the beaches of Normandy, among other sites, and posted them online (Honouring Our Military History) so that history might come alive for family and strangers alike. "It was so much more powerful seeing it firsthand, and we don't learn about those things here, at least I didn't, growing up," Morin told CTV.ca in a recent telephone interview. "It was just kind of names and dates and obscure kinds of things that didn't resonate. Whereas seeing them firsthand, seeing the people going through the cemeteries, I was quite taken aback that they actually do that." Dates and the names of long-dead historical figures may have been lost on a young Morin, but the dedication of and sacrifices made by Canada's Second World War veterans were not. His father, Maj. J.A. Morin joined the military at 17 and became part of a unit that would eventually be known as Le Régiment de la Chaudière, which landed in France as part of the second assault wave on D-Day. During his youth, Morin's family would occasionally visit with other veterans or attend regimental events. But rather than regale the gathered youngsters with tales of war, the veterans refused to "relive the war publicly," Morin says, instead choosing to suppress the painful memories. "They didn't respect the events," Morin said. "In fact, they hated war. They said, 'We did this and our hope was for it to never happen again. We're tying to suppress this thing. We want our happy life at home. And this is what we're fighting for. We're not fighting for the French, we're not fighting for the British, we're not fighting for the Belgians or the Dutch. We're fighting for our way of life, we're fighting for our country.'" Morin's respect for the soldiers is clear and his pictures pay homage not only to those who came home, like his father, but those who did not, like his mother's youngest brother. Lieut. Mark A. Corbett died when his jeep struck a landmine just two months after he arrived in Normandy. Morin was able to visit his grave at the Bretteville-sur-Laize Canadian war cemetery in France on one of his trips. But visiting his uncle's final resting place did not just bring him closer to a long-gone family member. "It also brought me closer to everyone who did go over there," Morin said. "It probably started out as being a family kind of thing. But seeing the numbers, seeing the names, seeing so many 'A soldier of the Great War' headstones, seeing the numbers of people and how young they are, it really became a Canadian experience, as opposed to just a family experience." What also struck Morin, and what is clear in his photographs, is how well-tended the monuments and cemeteries are. In particular, Morin was struck by the condition of the Ypres Salient in Flanders, Belgium, the site of a number of First World War battles, including the infamous Battle of Passchendaele, where 300,000 British and Commonwealth soldiers lost their lives. The Canadians suffered more than 15,000 casualties. "I'm not a particularly emotional guy, but I was struck by the numbers of young soldiers who lost their lives, how young they were and how many whose resting place is 'known only unto God,'" Morin said in an email. "I was also struck by the state of the cemeteries. They are impeccable and are cared for very lovingly by the maintenance crews. It's also very impressive to see busload after busload of young European students visiting the graves and learning firsthand about their history. There's no running around or joking as you'd expect from kids that age. They're sombre and respectful. They will remember." For North Americans whose memories of the war don't include the daily air raid sirens, bombings and cavalries of tanks and troops that marked the experience for so many Europeans, Morin hopes his online galleries "make them think for a few minutes" about the sacrifices made by so many young men, and young women. And in remembering Canadian contributions to past military campaigns, Morin hopes a sense of pride extends to our troops currently serving in Afghanistan. "It wasn't excitement. It was pain, it was drudgery, you really had to believe in what you were doing. And then you take that into today's context with what we're trying to do in Afghanistan, and why are we doing it? Is it our core values, is it what it is to be Canadian to say, 'Hey, we want the people there to have a better life, something resembling what we have?'" Morin asks. "Of course, our cultures are different so their life wouldn't be like ours, but still, the freedom to choose. We have a freedom to choose and where did it come from? It came from our ancestors, our families, going out before to fight for our values. To say, 'Hey, I believe in what I believe, and I want to share that, I think it's important.' And I think that's what they were doing." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kip Powick Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 Flew a bunch of VIPs over to see the Vimy memorial and they were kind enough to let us join their tour. We managed to get into the trenches and tunnels, (they had been pumped out for the ocassion), and saw how the troops were brought up to the front. One tunnel went forward and those going to the front could not see the wounded coming back via a parallel tunnel. At one time the Germans and the Allies were only 50 yards apart and used to tunnel toward each other and attempt to blow up each others tunnels. At Christmas both sides got out of their trenches and met in no mans land and exchanged greetings...back to the trenches and shot at each other !! The tour of the graveyard s was very moving. As you know, the Allies have very nice headstones in most areas the Germans have crude crosses, (Vimy ridge area). Little Known Fact...Hitler toured Vimy Ridge and viewed the original memorial If you ever get the chance to visit the area, please do so...it is very moving when one contemplates what it must have been like in the thick of the war. It is unfortunate that with the passage of time, the true horror, as well as the sacrifices, by so many in both the Great Wars, is becoming just a faded memory.....for so many. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hadji Ramjet Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 Nice touch in Edmonton: on the city transit busses, the digital signs are switching between the route and "Lest We Forget." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dagger Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 Nice touch in Edmonton: on the city transit busses, the digital signs are switching between the route and "Lest We Forget." In Toronto, the alternating message on the digital signs says "Remember our veterans". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
conehead Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 I spoke with a lady this morning whose son is currently in Afghansistan with JTF2. She will attend ceremonies tomorrow, and hopes to have her son home for Christmas.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ex 9A Guy Posted November 11, 2009 Share Posted November 11, 2009 Just got off the phone with my wife who passed on some terrible news. The 20 year old stepson of one of her friends who emigrated to Canada last year was killed by an IED in Afghanistan on sunday. I never met the young man but I am quite sure he will be sorely missed by all who did. RIP Rifleman Sam Bassett Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoomerPete Posted November 11, 2009 Share Posted November 11, 2009 A Visit To Adegem / Hymn To Freedom In keeping with the theme of sharing thoughts about sacrifices made in the service of our country below is an email I sent to family describing a visit to my uncle's war grave in Adegem, Belgium. It's not much but it did evoke some powerful feelings, especially among those who had been close to my uncle and also family friends who grew up in Belgium just after World War II. "Hymn To Freedom" really captures, for me, what it's all about. It's not a dirge. It's a joyful celebration of all the potential that each Canadian is endowed with by virtue of the freedom that our sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, mothers and fathers have been willing to fight and die for. Bless them all and remember them all. RIP Lt. Harold Fisher 09/10/1944 Pete Hello Family ... Hopefully this email finds you all well and happy. Lately I’ve been spending a lot of time working flights in and out of Brussels. A little while ago I had some time off there and decided that it was a good opportunity for me to visit Adegem and pay my respects to Harold. It was Sunday and pretty much everything in Belgium is closed on Sundays, so I decided it was best to buy some flowers before I left Brussels. The choice wasn’t great or particularly suited to a cemetery visit but I did manage to find a bouquet of red and white flowers that seemed acceptable. The journey from Brussels was actually quite easy to make. A train to Ghent and another to Eeklo followed by a bus to Adegem had me in the town in less than two hours time. From there it was a bit of a trick to find the cemetery as there were no signs pointing the direction from the bus stop. The answer if you ever try this is to walk south a kilometre or two from the Adegem Dorp bus stop. As I got closer to the cemetery I was thinking of Harold and who he must have been in those days; what this place was like at the time he and his comrades were fighting the war; and about how what it is today is the product of their sacrifices. I’d brought along my ipod to listen to while making the train journey and as I walked along the road I was wondering if I had something to listen to that was appropriate to the occasion. My ipod hasn’t got much in the way of military marches or patriotic music on it and most of what I do have just didn’t seem to suit the moment at all, but thinking about it, there was one piece of music that seemed just right: Oscar Peterson’s Hymn To Freedom. Oscar, after all, was a Canadian just coming into his own in the years in which Harold served. And though he composed Hymn To Freedom some years later and his inspiration was not the war but the civil rights movement, the music both in its origination and its tempo seemed to capture what the moment was about: dignified, but infused with the joy of triumph and the liberation of the human spirit. If you haven’t heard it take a listen. The day was one of those on again, off again days where the sun seems to be playing hide-and-go-seek, but as I got to the cemetery it decided to come out for good and add a sense of warmth to the moment. The cemetery is, as I imagine it has always been, neatly manicured and well maintained. It is without doubt a pleasant and peaceful place to rest and a good place to come to to think about the sacrifices of war, both of those who died and of the families who were left to grieve for their loss. With a map I had from the War Graves Commission I was able to find Harold’s plot quite quickly. His gravestone is so neat and clean you might imagine that it was only placed there yesterday, not more than 60 years ago. Around him are other men from the Stormont, Dundas & Glengarry Highlanders who I’m sure were both his comrades and his friends. I spent some time there, thought a bit of family and the things we’ve experienced since, placed the flowers, and thought a little more. Having a bit of military background of my own the cemetery in its organization reminded me of a squadron on parade with all the men at attention and awaiting inspection. It seemed only right to respect that tradition and walk the rows, read the names and think of the stories that brought these men, more than a thousand of them in all, to this place. Eventually I arrived at the small chapel that overlooks them and found the visitors register. I added my name and left a short note remembering Harold on behalf of our family. There had been other visitors that day but for the entire time I was there I was alone and the peace and quietness seemed appropriate. From the chapel I walked more of the rows before finally making my way back to Harold’s grave to say goodbye. An hour or so after arriving I closed the gate behind me and headed back down the road to Adegem. While I was there I took a few photographs to pass along to you all. Love to all, Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Hudson Posted November 11, 2009 Share Posted November 11, 2009 Fine, fine post, Pete. Hymn to Freedom - Oscar Peterson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Real World Posted November 11, 2009 Share Posted November 11, 2009 I am lost for words. I have a beautiful family and comfortable home. All this has been made possible by the sacrifice of young men and women who fight and fought for our beliefs and the rights of others. They have more courage than I. They are my heros forever. They have have earned a wage of which I can never repay. Thank you and God Bless. God Bless Canada. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hadji Ramjet Posted November 11, 2009 Share Posted November 11, 2009 A Pittance of Time http://www.terry-kelly.com/pittance Terry performed for us at KAF a couple of years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoomerPete Posted November 11, 2009 Share Posted November 11, 2009 Fine, fine post, Pete. Hymn to Freedom - Oscar Peterson Hi Don, Thanks for that link. It's interesting to see how Oscar performed that tune so much later in his career. I find this version much more elegiac than the original, perhaps due to Oscar's loss of much of the dexterity in his left hand after his stroke. I must say I prefer this version: Hymn To Freedom - Earlier Recording It has much more of the "lightness of the soul" that I was feeling when I listened to it that day as I was walking the road to the cemetery in Adegem. That, I felt, was an important thing. I think my uncle, and all the others who gave their lives, did so not for us to remember them in mourning, but so we could enjoy the happiness of being spirits free to express all that's in our hearts, which is exactly what Oscar was able to convey for me with his "Hymn to Freedom". As a further aside, some of the closest thoughts on my mind that day were not just of my uncle and his sacrifice but for the effects of that sacrifice on the family that he left behind. The parents who lost their son, the wife who lost her husband, the sons who lost their dad, the sister (my mom) who lost the big brother she adored, and all of the rest of us who lost someone special we never even had a chance to meet. Those losses have echoed down through all the years from then to now and are still felt deeply and individually over 60 years later. I'm sure the same is true for every family that's been touched this way in any war that Canada has fought. So, when I think of and remember the sacrifices I think not just of my uncle, but of my aunt, my cousins, my grandmother and especially of my mother and what they each lost. And I think of an uncle who died at an age much younger than I am now and wonder who he really was and how we might have related had he lived. I'll never know. Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
conehead Posted November 11, 2009 Share Posted November 11, 2009 My Dad followed his big brother all over Europe, but never did catch up with him... here is my Uncle's final resting place, just outside of Nijmegan, in Holland. The Dutch people take wonderful care of this place, and if you travel in the area, they treat you like royalty... http://www.cwgc.org/search/certificate.aspx?casualty=2232242 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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