Selfless Service Remembered

 

Observing the fallen will look a little different this Remembrance Day but the silence observed will be just, if not more, impactful.

Honouring the service of selfless military personnel does not begin on Nov. 11, however, but on Nov. 8, with Indigenous Veterans Day.  Many Canadians are unaware of the sacrifice our indigenous citizens made during our nation's conflicts but with the addition and inclusion of their stories of bravery and commitment into classrooms and our bookshelves, that involvement will not be forgotten. The First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples of Canada have a long and proud tradition of military service in our country and their contributions should have prominent standings in our ceremonies because they did so when their fellow Canadians viewed them as lesser peoples.

Now THAT is selfless service personified.

Each year, millions of people across the country bow their heads in silence when the clock chimes 11 a.m. on Nov. 11 — the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month — in commemoration of the ending of the First World War in 1918. Originally referred to as Armistice Day, Remembrance Day was first observed throughout the British Commonwealth in 1919.  It was held on the Monday of the week in which Nov. 11 fell from 1921-1930, and it wasn't until 1931 that a bill passed in the House of Commons to declare Nov. 11 as the official day of observation. The bill also changed the name from Armistice Day to Remembrance Day, and every year since, Canadians across this vast land stop, reflect, remember, honour the more than 2.3 million servicemen and women who selflessly fought to preserve peace, 118,000 of whom gave their lives in the process. 

On Remembrance Day, The Royal Canadian Legion honours and supports veterans from all Canadian wars, recent and past, including the South African War (1899-1902); First World War (1914-1918); Second World War (1939-1945); Korean War (1950-1953); Persian Gulf War (1990-1991); and the Afghanistan War (2001-2014).

In a normal year, students would be quietly gathering in auditoriums and gymnasiums to hear their school bands play, military personnel speak, place wreaths of red poppies around a symbolic marker, and pause on the eleventh hour. The sombre silence would be gripping, as the only sound reverberating from the vast space would be heartbeats beating in time — thumps that sound against chests to remind everyone present of the life in our bodies that we owe to those who have served before us. Stretching across hardwood floors and plastic chairs, the moment of silence may seem endless to some, a flash to others, and it is only broken when the bugle plays The Last Post.

In this year of the pandemic, the gyms and auditoriums may be empty but the assemblies and remembrance will forge ahead, albeit online. At TMC, our Remembrance Day assembly will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 10, starting at 10:45 a.m. Look for your link to the online program in your Inbox. In addition, our school has joined the Veterans Food Bank of Calgary drive leading up to the online assembly to collect non-perishable food items for those who have fought for our freedoms. 

As each generation grows up without the thought of war, I believe that freedom is taken more and more for granted. We forget about times of telegrams and bunkers, concentration camps and rations. Our memories gloss over empty cupboards and round-ups and family members leaving for the warfront, never to return. Those realities are grey shadows floating far off into the distance — a vacant fog seen only by our elders.

So how do we remember the price of freedom?

We reflect.

We turn back the clock and educate ourselves in the past, and we wear a poppy to show we, too, know that freedom isn't free.

It comes at a cost.

Lives paid.

Lives lost.

Lives broken.

Lives endured.

Here at Twelve Mile Coulee, our collection of war and Remembrance Day books is extensive. From historic accounts, diaries, biographies and poetry to picture books, real-fiction and graphic novels, we have titles that seek to engage, educate, encourage another generation to fight for peace and freedom with words and actions, knowing the true cost of freedom.

While there are many, many books that depict the wars fought for freedom, and commemorated during the Canadian Remembrance Day, here are some of my favourite go-to titles in our Learning Commons' collection, all of which are in non-conventional formats:

1. World War One: 1914-1918: The War to End All Wars — Graphic Novel by Alan Cowsill (author) and Lalit Kumar Sharma (illustrator)

Known as The Great War, the First World War involved more than 30 nations and resulted in the deaths of millions of young men. This stunning graphic depiction of the historic events of the war through the eyes of young conscripted servicemen on all sides of the conflict, and the introduction of tanks, airplanes, air raids, submarines and gas attacks. It was the first modern war of the 20th century, and it all began with the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo. Beautifully illustrated, this graphic history book tells the journey from Sarajevo to the Treaty of Versailles and it is a must-have for every library. Non-fiction graphic novel

2. World War Two: Against the Rising Sun — Graphic Novel by Jason Quinn (author) and Naresh Kumar (illustrator)

In this graphic novel depiction of the Second World War, author Jason Quinn and illustrator Naresh Kumar focus their creativity on the war in the East, through the eyes of servicemen and civilians on both sides of the conflict, from the invasion of Manchuria by Japan in 1937 to the dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. While many books on the Second World War tend to solely focus on the European theatre, World War Two: Against the Rising Sun includes the Pacific theatre, stretching back to the early 1930s in order to gain perspective from all sides, making it more proportional in content. Non-fiction graphic novel

3. Canada at War: A Graphic History of World War Two by Paul Keery (author) and Michael Wyatt (illustrator)

Short-listed for the Hackmatack Children's Choice Book Award, this beautifully crafted graphic novel traces the achievements of the Canadian Forces in the Second World War, after it picked up arms in 1914 as a subject of Britain and later on its own in 1939. Canada at War follows the developments and setbacks, wins and losses as our nation comes to the aid of its allies. The graphic novel gives an historic account of our country's growing military presence (army, navy, air force) through the full-colour illustrations of our triumphs and tragedies, from Dieppe and Hong Kong, through the Battle of the Atlantic and the Invasion of Sicily. It ends with the victories of D-Day and Juno Beach, and the liberation of Europe. Non-fiction graphic novel

4. A Bear in the War by Stephanie Innes (author), Harry Endrulat (author) and Brian Deines (illustrator)

Accompanied by family photographs and poignant illustrations, A Bear in the War tells the story of a young girl who slips her teddy bear into a care package for her father, a medic posted to the trenches of France during World War One. Lawrence Browning Rogers left behind his wife, two children and their farm in East Farnham, Que. to join the Fifth Canadian Mounted Rifles in 1915. Although he died in the battle of Passchendaele, his belongings were shipped back to his family, along with the toy bear. Eighty-five years later, his granddaughter found the teddy bear, the letters the family exchanged while Rogers was stationed overseas — all packed neatly in a briefcase. Today, the toy bear sits in the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa. Non-fiction picture book

5. At Vimy Oaks: A Journey of Peace by Linda Granfield (author) and Brian Deines (illustrator)

In 1917, after the Battle of Vimy Ridge, Leslie H. Miller — a teacher, farmer and soldier with the Canadian Expeditionary Force — stood amid the war-ravaged landscape and pocketed a handful of acorns from the blasted trees and mailed them home. Over the next 100 years, those acorns grew to become majestic oaks on the site of the Miller family farm in Ontario. This picture book tells that story of hope amidst destruction in a vivid portrayal. Non-fiction picture book

6. I Remember Korea: Veterans Tell Their Stories of the Korean War, 1950-1953 by Linda Granfield

Award-winning non-fiction author Linda Granfield collected the personal accounts of 32 men and women who served wth the Canadian and U.S. forces in Korea during 1950-1953, and described the main events of the war in this book. The veterans represent different branches and aspects of the military, including medical, supplies, infantry and naval. Their moving, sometimes graphic, recollections of the end of the Korean War are vivid and personal, insightful and reflective. Non-fiction

7. Code Talker: A Novel About the Navajo Marines of World War Two by Joseph Bruchac

Code Talker is a real-fiction account of the Navajo code talkers who played a crucial part of the U.S. effort in the fight against Japan in the Second World War, sending messages in their native tongue that became an unbreakable code. The tale of their heroism remained classified for more than 20 years. In this fictional account, author Joseph Bruchac creates a riveting account of Ned Begay, a 16-year-old Navajo boy who becomes a code talker. Real-Fiction novel

OTHER RESOURCES

The Canadian Encyclopedia  provides access to hundreds of Canadian documents related to Remembrance Day, and the wars in which Canadian soldiers have fought. The Memory Project contains photographs and interviews from Canadian soldiers of the three wars (Korea, First World War, and Second World War), as well as documents related to Canada's peacekeeping efforts. In addition, there is also a section highlighting the Cree code talkers, who much like the Navajo code talkers in the U.S., were an elite unit tasked with disguising military intelligence using their native language during the Second World War. 

TeachingBooks.net is a database of supportive materials for war-related books written by Canadian authors that can be used in English and language arts novel studies, but they are titles that everyone can access. One of my favourites highlighted is Three Day Road by Joseph Boyden. While Three Day Road is not available at Twelve Mile Coulee, due to his adult-suggested reading rating, I would highly recommend it for students Grade 10 and up, as well as adults. Boyden, a Canadian author born in Toronto, won numerous awards and was nominated for a Governor General's Award for the debut novel. His second novel, Through Black Spruce, won the 2008 Scotiabank Giller Prize and he was made a Member of the Order of Canada in 2015. 

The National Film Board of Canada this year created a Remembrance Day Virtual Classroom, in collaboration with the Canadian War Museum, OHASSTA, and the Royal Canadian Legion. The classroom includes the recitation of John McCrae's, In Flanders Fields, to mark the 100-year anniversary of the iconic war poem. In addition, the film board also has a Canada at War Series, a documentary film series with more than 14 million feet of film, mostly shot by Canadian Army cameramen during the Second World War, as well as footage shot by German and British film crews. War & Peace is a collection of NFB films encompassing war topics covered in elementary and high schools. 

Canada in Context is a database with a wealth of information related to Remembrance Day in Canada, including how one community commemorated the sacrifices of Canadian soldiers and a biography of John McCrae, author of the famous In Flanders Fields poem.