Standing With Giants Silhouettes at Golden Beach, Normandy
No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
John 15:13 NRSVue -- Jesus of Nazareth
This is the 80th anniversary of D-Day, the Allied landing in France during World War II. Approximately 160,000 troops came ashore under withering German fire, 15,000 of them Canadians. Those in command knew that the casualties would be enormous yet the assault was deemed vital to opening a new front in the conflict and it did prove to be the "beginning of the end," although the next year involved a series of hard-fought battles.
There are plenty of Canadian dignitaries taking part in the various D-Day commemorations, held every five years. None are more important than the handful of veterans who have made the trip, ranging in age from 99 to 104. One vet, 100 years old, had his bag packed ready to go, and died in his sleep the night before his departure. It's likely that all of them will be gone five years from now.
Canadians landing at Juno Beach, Normandy
While these are modest people they and other veterans of WWII, men and women, are concerned that the level of courage and sacrifice displayed by their generation in stopping the evil of Nazism is fading, and that young people aren't learning about what transpired over those six years of brutal conflict.
I have been thinking about my father and father-in-law, as well as other members of our families, who committed years of their lives to the war effort. My father-in-law, Max Putnam was seconded to chaplaincy and served in England and France. My father, George Mundy, never left Canada, but served on an airforce base in Nova Scotia. Both became ministers after the war and we never talked about how they reconciled their Christian faith and the realities of war. I'm sure they felt that they were part of a greater good and while I despise what seems to be the futility and destructiveness of war I appreciate their willingness to serve.
I do thank God for all those who were willing to pay the ultimate price on behalf of others, so many of whom died in the flower of their youth. Lest we forget.
Max and Norah Putnam -- Norah was a war bride who arrived at Pier 21, Halifax
2 comments:
I have read many books about WW1 and WW2. My father served in Burma during WW2, so the vast majority of my books focus on that region.
To think how young the soldiers were - you'd be considered old if you were 25 - not only trying not to be killed by the enemy, but dealing with weather extremes, snakes, and disease, it's hard to fathom how the survivors were able to cope after the war. Of course many had PTSD, and I'm sure we've all seen footage of soldiers who experienced what was called "shell shock" in WW1. Seeing a soldier cowering when shown his helmet is just heartbreaking.
Those veterans are the true heroes, and we can never forget their sacrifices.
They were heroes, Roger, even though as one of them at Normandy yesterday said, "we were children." We can't forget or lose our sense of gratitude.
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