Against background of current conflicts, Remembrance Day holds special meaning
As the nation prepares to spare a thought for the servicemen and women who have served their country, retired air force Colonel Brian Titterton says Remembrance Day should also be about educating youth about the events that lead to war.
"It’s important young people can recognize the kinds of problems that lead to war in the first place so they can avoid it," said Titterton.
As politicians continue to debate the merits of the war in Iraq and how best to rebuild Afghanistan, Titterton said a better understanding of the issues might help avoid such conflicts in the future.
Titterton dedicated his life to the airforce, joining at age 19 and serving for 35 years, during which time he flew fighter aircraft such as Sabres and Starfighters in Europe, the U.S. and Canada.
In 1988 Titterton retired from his post with the Supreme Allied Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium and moved to Whistler.
Titterton admitted that although his job was risky, like many others, he was attracted to the adventure and the pride that one develops in their unit.
"It really was a big adventure – there was the excitement of moving away from home, then the uncertainty of what type of plane I would fly,’’ Titterton said.
Hundreds of Canadians who were attracted by the same sense of adventure as Titterton are now leading the peacekeeping effort in Afghanistan.
A short distance away, thousands of troops involved with the "coalition of the willing" are fighting to restore stability in Iraq.
"They (the peacekeepers) have to stay and see it through now," Titterton said.
"It’s the same situation in Iraq. They’ve made the commitment and now they have to do whatever they can to get the job done."
As the country remembers the 11 th hour, on the 11 th day of the 11 th month, which is when the final guns sounded to mark the end of the Second World War, many will be filled with emotions about the ongoing operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Protests continue almost daily around the world about the presence of the "coalition of the willing" in Iraq and the continued loss of life on both sides.
In addition to the bloodshed, the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq have raised many questions about the relevance of the United Nations and its role in international politics. But Titterton said a unified approach to peacekeeping was always a better option.
"It doesn’t always nip the problem in the bud but to ‘internationalize’ problems, I would think that that would be a better way of solving problems – together."
While there has been a cessation of open warfare in Iraq for some months, casualties on both sides continue to mount.
Canadians were given a horrible reminder about the realities of war a month ago when five peacekeepers from the Para Company 3 rd Battalion Royal Canadian Regiment drove over a land mine near Kabul in Afghanistan.
Corporal Robbie Beerenfenger, 29, and Sergeant Robert Short, 29, died and three of their comrades were injured when their Iltis vehicle hit a land mine near the village of QuleJowz, less than four kilometres from their base.
The land mine that destroyed their vehicle was believed to be for disabling tanks.
Moreover, last Sunday U.S. forces in Iraq suffered another shocking loss when 16 personnel died in a helicopter crash.
Despite the rising death toll, the U.S. Congress enhanced its commitment to the rebuilding of both Iraq and Afghanistan on Monday when it pledged $87 billion.
Titterton said that losing colleagues during military service was almost inevitable.
"Some of my friends died very early in training, others had accidents later on. But it’s such a dangerous occupation, you’ve got to expect that things will go wrong sometimes," Titterton said.
When things do go wrong, maintaining a sense of purpose is vital for morale, but Titterton said it took a certain kind of person to be able to deal with it, particularly when they might not agree with what their country was doing.
"I would say that by the time someone has got through their basic training that they would have accepted the discipline or they leave," he said.
"Most militaries have a high turnover in the training stage because you either make the adjustment or you don’t.
"It’s a career and a choice you make. I mean you’ll probably find that a lot of troops in Iraq won’t renew their contracts (in the military)."
Whistler resident Chris Donnelly, 30, is still serving in the Canadian military after being awarded a medal for his peacekeeping efforts in Cypress.
Donnelly was only 17 when he signed with the army and joined the armoured division.
At age 20 he was shipped to Cypress as part of a unit assigned to maintain the peace between Greek and Turkish Cypriotes. He is now with the 6 th Intelligence Company based in Vancouver.
Donnelly said anyone wanting to join the military needs a genuine interest in serving their country.
"You can’t be selfish about your service and you have to be dedicated," Donnelly said.
"The army will teach you to be sure of yourself, but you have to give 110 per cent or you’re going to have difficulties.
"Some people just do it for the money, which is strange because the money’s not that great."
Whistler fireman Brian Buchholz, who has organized the Remembrance Day ceremonies for the past seven years, said it was important that young people, students in particular, be involved in Remembrance Day and make an effort to understand the sacrifice many veterans made.
"We usually make sure there’s lots of children involved and most of them seem to have a sense of what it means historically," Buchholz said.
"You know, we want them to realize that it’s not just about wearing a poppy and having a parade," he said. "It’s about learning how they can make a difference."
Buchholz said the local poppy campaign has started already this year, with all donations going to assist veterans and their families.
Poppies became a symbol of remembrance during the First World War when they grew among the gravestones and battlefields around Flanders.
Canada has lost 116,000 men and women in conflict since the beginning of the First World War, but in most cases their sacrifice ultimately led to victory.
Operation Jubilee or the "Dieppe Raid" is perhaps the most infamous battle of the Second World War involving Canadians.
On the morning of Aug. 19, 1942, a time when the German army was at its most dominant, 4,963 Canadians, together with a handful of British and Americans, attempted a raid on German positions along the French coast.
The results were catastrophic: in one morning, 907 Canadians died and 3,367 were wounded.
It was a shocking price to pay, but many lessons were learned from the "Dieppe Raid" and eventually another Canadian, Sir William Stephenson, helped co-ordinate secret plans based on that raid.
Two years later those plans were instrumental in saving countless lives during the D-Day landings.
Soon after those landings the Allies reached Germany and the war in Europe ended.
Unfortunately, there is not expected to be many Second World War veterans capable of attending local ceremonies but one 83-year-old Pemberton veteran, James McDonald, is looking forward to them.
McDonald served in England with an anti-aircraft artillery unit during the Battle of Britain and later on continental Europe.
McDonald said he has been visiting schools in the area during the past week and has always been encouraged by the children’s interest.
"During my talk I always let them know that I’m dead against war," McDonald said.
"I wish we could come up with another system to sort out our problems because I don’t know why anyone would go to war.
"This is why I’m always amazed by what happened in World War Two – we only had a population of 11 million at the time and a million people volunteered."
McDonald said it was always hard losing friends during the war, but he has found it harder saying goodbye to friends who survived.
"Remembrance Day is a day for me to remember all my buddies that never returned," he said.
"But it’s also a time when I think of all my buddies that came home and have also since passed on."
Remembrance Day activities start on Tuesday, Nov. 11 in Whistler, Pemberton and Squamish around 10:30 a.m.
In Whistler the ceremony, at the Cenotaph in front of the main firehall, culminates with a fly past of helicopters at 11:05 a.m.
In Pemberton, celebrations take place at the Legion. In Squamish Remembrance Day is celebrated at the Brennan Park Recreation Centre, starting at 10:45 a.m.
