Remembrance Day

[mbarrick]

For most people I know my age and younger it is their grandparents or even great-grandparents that were involved in WWII. Unlike today it was very unusual around the time of my birth for people in their late 30's or early 40's to be having children but that's precisely what my parents did. For that reason I'm only one generation removed from what is still referred to at "the war." It's not the distant past for me. It's my parents. My father fought in North Africa in Italy. My mother lived in Belgium during the German occupation.

Below are some tattered old ribbons from another century that I keep in my father's old jewelry box. The medals they represent are long gone, the corresponding images are from the Ministry of Veterans Affairs website:

The 1939-45 Star Awarded for a minimum of six months active service in the army in Europe
Defence Medal Awarded for a minimum of six months overseas service in an area under enemy threat
War Medal (1939-1945) Awarded for full-time service during WWII

Comments

[madamekat.livejournal.com]

My father was born in 1929 and served in the US/Korean war, stationed in Germany. Like you, I was raised on his stories and memories and have a profound respect for his service. Luckily, he retained his sense of humor and passed it on to me.

[mbarrick.livejournal.com]

Something else we have in common, then. My father was born in 1926 and my mother in 1930. It's always been odd to be too young to be a Boomer, but too connected to the War Generation to really be Generation X either.

[ladyvermath.livejournal.com]

It's a shame that the metals no longer accompany the ribbons.

[mbarrick.livejournal.com]

Yes. The Canadian issue medals, unlike their British counterparts, were made with precious metals and dad sold them long before I was born.

[ladyvermath.livejournal.com]

That is quite a shame but we all do what we have to, to survive. I find it interesting how our thought processes change through out the years. When I was younger if I had to sell something that had a significant historical or family history I'd ponder on it briefly but if it meant eating or having a roof over my head or something else equally important I'd do it. However if I was put in that position now? There is no way I'd get rid of anything related to my family's history. I'd do anything but that.

[dream-king.livejournal.com]

As important as it is to remember and to thank the soldiers of old, it is equaly important to thank our more recently soldiers like yourself.

So thank you for serving and keeping Canada, for standing on guard.

[tnkgrl.livejournal.com]

Unrelated... A belayed congrats on the 10th anniversary of Gothic BC!

[tnkgrl.livejournal.com]

Related. Both my parents were born during the war and told me stories of growing up in the ruins of post-war Europe.