The red poppy worn on the left side, over the heart, is a tiny but powerful reminder that thousands of men and women in our community and beyond served their country during war time and in peace and are remembered for their efforts and often the sacrifice of life.
Members of our military community continue to serve and are ready to answer whatever calls come for their presence and assistance.
At traditional Nov. 11 services of Remembrance, emphasis has usually been on the veterans of the First and Second World Wars, Korean War, peacekeeping missions and other combat areas including Afghanistan. Reference has always been made to currently serving members of the military and thanks given to their families. That is as it should be.
But I’ve often wished we would spend a bit more time extending our thankfulness to the families of veterans who served in the previously mentioned wars and theatres of combat. In their own way they too served our country and made unbelievable sacrifices themselves in maintaining life at home and in support of the war effort here and overseas.
I often heard my Mother talk about the years she spent alone with my brother and sister while my Father was overseas in the Royal Canadian Army Service Corps. She talked about the hardships of managing the household on her own, occasionally lamenting the lack of support she received from one local merchant who would not extend her credit for a tin of milk for her children.
She also talked about the kindness of others in our community and in Moose Jaw where the owner of the Princess Cafe saved her sugar packs to extend her sugar rations and chocolate bars to send to Dad in regular packages from home.
By managing our family as best she could and by being stalwart and determined she was doing more than her share to support the war effort, and her husband, a veteran who thankfully came home safely.
My siblings also sacrificed for their country, living without their Father until the end of the Second World War. As the children of a soldier overseas they had many extra burdens they would not have had if their Father had not gone off to war. While they did without some of the extras that other children enjoyed, imagine their pride when they learned their Father was part of the liberation of Holland.
In later years my sister joined the RCAF, serving her country in Canada and looking after the safety of her colleagues as she packed their parachutes. As a veteran she became a member of the Legion in Alberta and continues that membership and support here.
My brother did his service to others by working with the Royal Canadian Legions in Alberta and here in Moose Jaw, helping to raise money for the poppy fund and to assist veterans who might need a helping hand or even a friendly ear. He was not a military veteran but he had paid his dues as a youngster and continued that commitment until his death.
As a post-war baby by several years, I was saved from the hardships of the war years but I learned to respect what Remembrance Day meant to my family. I try to live up to those expectations by wearing a poppy, appreciating the work of veterans of all generations, talking to school children about the importance of remembering, helping Sunningdale students adorn their walkway with Canadian flags and doing what I am able to support the work going on at 15 Wing.
When I stand on Nov. 11 to observe the memorial silence, I will remember my Father who served and came home. I will also recall in appreciation how members of my family served their country while he was away, and in later years. And I will remember always that the work of non-veterans in support of veterans should never be minimized.
There are many stories to be told of non-veterans who made their own contributions and sacrifices in times of war and peace, sending family members off to distant lands for extended periods of time. My family’s story is but one of them.
Joyce Walter can be reached at ronjoy@sasktel.net
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.
