FELDSTED: They are our torch bearers, who stand ready to save us from losing the freedoms and rights that have been earned through blood and battles over centuries
I was only five years old when WW-II ended. I grew up with stories of the war from family members, returned veterans, and those whose husbands and sons never returned. Print media was king, and our papers and periodicals were filled with photos and stories of the war, and its ugliness for a decade or two after the war’s end. Our solemn vows to ‘never forget’ have faded and muted over the following decades. The numbers who volunteered for military service is staggering. This from a new nation comprised of mainly immigrants from all corners of the globe. Consider also that only males of the age 18 could serve. At least 4,000 aboriginals served in WW-I and over 3,000 in WW-II. To serve, they had to give up their heritage and become Canadian citizens. World War I World War II Population 8,001,000 (1916) Population 11,654,000 (1942) Military 619,000 ...