I just saw this tonight on NBC News with Brian Williams and looked up the article about that story. It's so appropriate for Veterans Day. Here in the U.S. the bodies of fallen soldiers from Iraq and Afghanistan have been hidden away arriving in the cloak of night so that Americans would not see just how many of our young people were having to give their lives to this war. These soldiers' grieving families did not get to know that their country was feeling for them and grieving with them.
At one time, it was "You're with me or against me." If you're not supporting the war, you're not supporting the soldiers. Well, it's because we are supporting the soldiers that we wanted them to have the best equipment to fight a war they are being sent to. They also need the best medical support when they come home injured. And they needed to be recognized and honored for their sacrifice.
I wish we could do for our soldiers what Canadians have been doing on that stretch of highway in Toronto.
The article about this story is copied below.
Highway of Heroes
Posted: Monday, November 10, 2008
By Kevin Tibbles, NBC News correspondent
It is not often that you witness something for the first time, and find yourself being moved to tears.
But, that is exactly how I responded one day last summer as I was driving down a stretch of highway outside of Toronto.
I noticed a few people on the overpass standing with flags.
On the next bridge, same thing.
Then there was a bridge with a fire truck on it, and more flags, and more people. Essentially I had driven, I dunno...50 or 60 miles...and there were people gathered on every single bridge.
Fire trucks, police cars, ambulances, pickups, sedans...moms, dads, the elderly, kids.
When I finally got to my own mother's house I asked her what was going on. "It's not a holiday? Is there a celebrity coming? What's with all the people on the bridges?".
She told me that stretch of highway 401 is now referred to as 'The Highway of Heroes'.
Each time a Canadian soldier dies in Afghanistan, fighting alongside Americans in the war on terror, people simply gather on the bridges out of respect.
They stand, maybe salute, maybe wave a flag, to show the fallen combatants family they are not alone.
It isn't political. It isn't organized. It doesn't cost a cent. And yet hundreds of ordinary people come to stand and say 'thanks' each time the body of a soldier comes by.
As we prepare to mark Veterans Day, or Remembrance Day as it is called in Canada, here is a grassroots movement that has simply grown out of respect for those who put their lives on the line.... Lest We Forget.
"Less We forget" !
ReplyDeleteYou are right... Your post is sad, but don't forget the Heroes...
Very moving indeed.
ReplyDeleteIt seems so sinister that our government has tried to keep this hidden. Our soldiers deserve the same! Over 4,000 lost now. Unbelievable.
ReplyDeletetouching story, thanks for sharing...
ReplyDeleteHappy Veteran's Day to all the men and women who have fought and are still fighting for our Country!
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting this story. It was a very touching report by Kevin Tibbles.
ReplyDeleteI've linked to your post, BTW.
Here's a story and video about Remembrance Day.
ReplyDeleteOn November 11, 1999 Terry Kelly was in a Shoppers Drug Mart store in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. At 10:55 AM an announcement came over the store's PA asking customers who would still be of the premises at 11:00 AM to give two minutes of silence in respect to the veterans who have sacrificed so much for us. Terry was impressed with the store's leadership role in adopting the Legion's "two minutes of silence" initiative. He felt that the store's contribution of educating the public to the importance of remembering was commendable. When eleven o'clock arrived on that day, an announcement was again made asking for the "two minutes of silence" to commence. All customers, with the exception of a man who was accompanied by his young child, showed their respect. Terry's anger towards the father for trying to engage the store's clerk in conversation and for setting a bad example for his child was later channeled into a beautiful piece of work called, "A Pittance of Time".
I think that you will find it to be a moving video and song.
Video link at top of page
http://www.terry-kelly.com/pittance/pittance_en.htm
Thank you for posting this, Kay. Rememberance Day has always been a special day, a holiday, in our Canadian province of New Brunswick to take the time to remember. All schools are closed today, as are government offices and most business. It is a time to remember and pray that it does not happen again.
ReplyDeleteA very touching post. Thank you, each and every Veteran.
ReplyDeleteA beautiful post, Kay! And so true! My thanks to all our Veterans and my heart goes out to all of those who have lost husbands, fathers, sons.
ReplyDeleteAside from the service people who don't come back, those who return are never the same and that's a well kept secret that we don't see. I pray for them and their families.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great post! I wish more people would stand up and recognize the sacrifices. We need to demand our troops are given the best of everything and that includes the therapy they will need to deal with the horrors they've witnessed during their tour of duty.
ReplyDeleteThat gave me the chills. The Canadians are doing it right.
ReplyDeleteI saw the same piece you wrote about. I think that is a touching story.
ReplyDeleteA wonderful post... very well done.
ReplyDeleteWow, I never even knew they did this in Toronto. What an inspiring post. Have a wonderful week Kay :)
ReplyDeleteI saw the story last night too, and once again I thought of how much we could learn from other nations.
ReplyDeleteOur current administration, in trying to cover up their mistakes, has made it almost impossible for us as US citizens to share the sacrifice being made by our soldiers and their families. I hope there will soon be a way to correct this.
I am a retired military man (RCAF) and I created a slide show title Canada’s Highway of heroes and thought I would pass it on to you. Feel free to use it and/or pass it along.
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Gerry
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEsJB80R2TM