“And the young people ask, what are they marching for? And I ask myself the same question.”
— From the song And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda by Eric Bogle
On Nov. 11, the Royal Canadian Legion will take the lead in hosting Remembrance Day ceremonies around the city, where veterans and serving members will form up, march and salute and wreaths will be laid.
Each year, it seems that, although the number of veterans diminishes, the number of spectators seems to increase. Even the number of memorials is growing.
According to Veterans Affairs Canada, there are more than 125 military memorials in Greater Victoria. They range from the cenotaphs at the Legislature and in each municipality, to plaques and stained-glass windows, to roads dedicated to the fallen such as part of Shelbourne Street, Veterans Memorial Parkway and Myles Mansell Road. Even Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre and the Memorial Cup that the Royals covet are so named … lest we forget.
As a 14-year-old Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry Army Cadet on parade in front of the Legislature, as a 28-year career infantry and special forces officer who served long tours in Bosnia and Afghanistan, and as a member of a small group of volunteers who created and dedicated the B.C. Afghanistan Memorial in Victoria last year, I have often asked myself questions such as the one posed by Eric Bogle and reflected on the meaning of Remembrance Day.
So, why do we go to Remembrance Day in such large numbers — especially when few of us today have a direct, personal connection with one of the fallen, as was the case a few decades back?
Beyond expressing our sadness at loss, we go to memorials for inspiration. For those who serve, it is obvious. As a junior infantry officer serving in the Patricias in Germany in the 1980s, I was immersed in regimental history. I paraded at Vimy Ridge, visited military cemeteries around Europe and carried the regimental colour adorned with the battle honours of the regiment.
Through these conscious acts of memory, we were imbued with courageous examples of those who went before us and we dedicated ourselves to strive for excellence and overcome risk, fear, pain and hardship.
In a similar way, most Canadians feel a sense of that inspiration in our daily lives when we associate with those who stood up for something, gave their all and sacrificed for others. It helps us to put the challenges in our lives into perspective and motivates us to overcome them by making personal sacrifices for our friends, family, teammates or a worthy cause in our lives.
Beyond inspiration, we all feel another emotion on Remembrance Day — a sense of belonging. We stand together as Canadians and feel a part of something larger than ourselves. Collectively, we cherish values such as justice, equality, inclusion, tolerance, respect for diversity and the rule of law. At times, we must stand up to for these concepts in real and concrete ways.
On Remembrance Day, we reflect on the costs of standing up for our values and we feel a bond with other Canadians who believe in justice and the responsibility to protect those who cannot protect themselves.
There is a third emotion that we feel on Nov. 11 — respect. Respect is the basis of our society. It is the basis of reconciliation, collaboration and progress.
Although I always thought I understood the meaning of respect for the fallen, I have learned more recently that true respect starts with understanding. In late 2009, a small group of six or eight of us were standing in the PPCLI Hall of Honour in Calgary to witness the engraving of a single name alongside the other 1,800 Patricias who had given their lives in service to Canada.
There was no great fanfare, just a simple dedication prayer from the chaplain and the uncovering of the new name — Cpl. N.A. Bulger. Nick was killed by an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan that summer. Embraced in the curved walls of the small memorial hall were a few officers, friends and his widow, Rebeka Bulger, the grieving young mother of two daughters who were then only two and four years old.
As we had a moment of silence after the name had been unveiled, I looked at Rebeka and then contemplated the other names on the panels and recognized, as perhaps I had not before, that knowing Nick and Rebeka’s story helped me understand and bring life, meaning and respect to all the other names. Moreover, I understood that my respect, which had always been focused on the fallen, should also be shared with those left behind.
There are 163 names on the B.C. Afghanistan memorial and each has a story. Most are young infantry soldiers in their 20s, but there are also five civilians who died on contract with the government of Canada, 13 officers, a chief warrant officer, five women, seven medics and 17 reservists or part-time soldiers. There are two from Victoria, 17 from B.C. and many more who served, studied or trained here.
Over the next few days, I hope to give the reader more insight into the lives of just a few of those names, such as Nick Bulger. Understanding their stories brings life to the sacrifices of the 118,000 others whose names appear on the Roll of Honour in Ottawa. It also helps us understand the sacrifices of their families and those who returned with physical and mental wounds.
When, on the 11th day of the 11th month, at the 11th hour someone reads out loud the line, “We will remember them,” there will be sadness, grief and a sense of loss. But by remembering the personal stories of the lives of the fallen, those emotions can be transcended by the higher feelings of inspiration, belonging and respect that are central to the continued importance of Remembrance Day.
Col. (Retired) Jamie Hammond, OMM, CD, served around the world for 28 years in Canada’s infantry and special forces, including several tours to Afghanistan and Bosnia. He was private secretary to two lieutenant-governors and was most recently an assistant deputy minister with the B.C. government. He was also a member of the society that created the Afghanistan Memorial in Victoria. This is the first in a series leading up to Remembrance Day.
For more on the memorial go to vicafghanistanmemorial.ca/ .
