Remembering

Today, Remembrance Day, I'm thinking of all the men and women who have served or are currently serving, in any capacity, for Canada's Armed Forces. I think it's important to commemorate their sacrifices. More specifically, I'm remembering my grandpa Colman and my great-uncle Don. I wrote about their experiences during the Second World War last week here and here. I'm wearing my poppy with pride today and will take some time at 11:00 to bow my head in remembrance.

Colman Ferencz in Vancouver, c.1943.

McCrea family at the family farm, c.1940.

Helping Us Remember

With Remembrance Day in the very near future, the Historica-Dominion Institute's The Memory Project is particularly relevant. The Memory Project is a digital archive of the stories and experiences of Second World War veterans. It's a nationwide bilingual initiative that provides the opportunity for veterans to share their memories through oral histories and artefacts.

I spent some time on the site yesterday and thoroughly enjoyed reading the transcripts and listening to the interviews. You can search for stories by battle, name, theatre, operation, etc. My great-uncle, Don, served in Caen-Falaise and was killed in action in August 1944. While I will never be able to hear about his experiences from him, I was grateful for all of the other servicemen and women who have shared their stories about Caen-Falaise. My family has always been proud of Don but the stories at The Memory Project help us to realize even more the courage and the bravery within him.