These articles and stories about war and conflict are written in graphic language. Younger children may not be ready to engage in the horrors war, but as adults we should be prepared to do so. Knowing leads to understanding. Otherwise we risk not being informed enough to make future decisions about our citizenship in a democratic society.
Language imparts more than facts, figures and ideas. Language helps us connect with a place and people. Especially so, in telling you about the Great War, a conflict and people beyond our living memory. World War One took place more than 105 years ago; no survivors are left to tell the story of Canadians on the battlefields half a world away.
The soldier's story is everywhere. In history books that pertain to The Great War; archives of military dispatches from innumerable frontlines; authors and painters who experienced the war firsthand and used the horrors of warfare as a backdrop in their work; in films that portray WW1; In cemeteries and memorials in Canada, Europe, Siberia, and the Mediterranean.
From the archives of war we can learn facts and figures or read casualty lists. Photographs give us a glimpse of trenches and battlefields. Newspaper headlines announce the victors of specific battles. From military reports we can find out that on the front lines the Canadian Corp was regarded by commanders on both sides of the war as one of the most effective formations on the Western Front. Analysts tell us the successes and reputation of Canadian soldiers helped to instill a national self-confidence in Canadians which in turn helped foster our identity as a nation marching toward full independence. History books tell us that Canadians fought in World War One for 52 horrific months; in the trenches they endured incomprehensible fear, terror and carnage. From war records we learn that 172,000 were wounded. Through medical reports and biographies we learn about the effects of shell shock and chlorine gas and how those afflictions were largely ignored. From the cemeteries and memorials in Canada, Europe, Siberia, and the Mediterranean we realize the 67,000 Canadians died in that four year conflict, or that 11,285 Canadian soldiers were listed as "missing, presumed dead" in France alone.
These are but a part of the story of the miseries or sacrifices made by Canadians. Dispatches of war do not deal with what happens to a person's soul in war and how veterans deal with
that afterward.
There was a time when the veteran, nearly always in still-fresh grief, had the burden to tell that story. A veterans of war can experience great difficulty in telling the truth about what
one has been through. Even if he had the strength to speak of his experiences the soldier often struggled in choked words to adequately express his anguish. The pain in his eyes wiped any smile from his face, saying, “I’ve never been the same." Civilians did not fully understand the soldier's unseen burdens, his pristinely-held memories, the loss of his brothers in combat and his sharp-edged grief.
Facts, figures and scrutiny of war do not predict how a nation will react to the next conflict or its ability to avoid war. Stretching across fifty or seventy years the veteran kept relaying his story, hoping that we would understand that he and his buddies fought to protect the freedoms and values we cherish. He watched his buddies die doing so. He just wanted us to grasp the despicable consequences of war.
"Though I too would never be able to learn the whole of it, nor fully comprehend the horrors of such a war, I could do my utmost to do both. To that end and in good faith, therefore, I could not use anything less than use explicit graphic language to paint a picture with words in retelling their stories. "
As a nation we had the burden of learning all that the veteran had to impart. We were given an opportunity; we were enabled to understand the political, social, and economic factors that influence how our society conducts and participates in war and how it goes about remembering or memorializing the past. Memorials and
commemorative services stand as interpretations of the past. Veterans, parents, teachers and leaders assumed the role of helping the next generation understand the full context of war and its consequences.
The torch is now ours. It is our burden to learn it, find value in it and teach the next generation to think critically about war and remembrance. We do not have to personally
know the veteran to
understand that our ability to peacefully stand looking out in the distance over our picturesque landscape is something we can easily take for granted. It only takes a few moments to remember and honour the sacrifice of veterans and their families in the service of our country. However, we are not just tourists, we have to remember and act responsibly in full understanding of the context of war, it is important to understand
the history that lead to the decision to create a memorial and which names to include in it and why.
Descriptive, graphic language can help us understand something that we were not witness to seeing or hearing. As a society, we Canadians need knowledge and awareness. Otherwise we are at risk of accepting without question nationalistic rhetoric and political agendas that cause divisiveness and may not be in our best interests.
Recognizing the myriad of factors that influenced how Canadian society conducts and participates in Remembrance Day ceremonies is just one of the things that will lead our youth to active and proactive
citizenship.
Thanks you for reading with an inquisitive mind. MLT