Remembering the realities of war

On the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month we remember all those who fought and died during both WWI and WWII, the Korean War, the war in Vietnam, and now those in Afghanistan.

For me, Remembrance Day has always been a struggle: who exactly are we remembering and for what reason?

As a kid, I always went to Remembrance Day ceremonies and participated because that's what everyone else did. We went and sat and listened to stories from veterans, were as quiet as possible for the two minutes of silence, and then went back to class not actually understanding what had happened. Even while participating in my town's ceremony with Girl Guides, I could tell this was a much more serious event than what was shown in school, but I still had no explanation. 

In high-school, after finding my academic niche in history classes, I slowly began to understand why Canada has a day of remembrance for veterans. The tens of thousands of both men and women who served and fought should be remembered. However, once I began university and continued studying history, I became more frustrated with ideas surrounding Remembrance Day. 

I am in no way saying that we should not remember, as that would be utterly disrespectful. What irks me is that many people draw the line and pay homage only to Canadian soldiers. Yes, I understand that we are in Canada, and yes, it is extremely important to respect those who share our Canadian heritage, but at the end of the day, war boils down to people fighting people. 

Soldiers, whether fighting at home or overseas, all experience very similar things. They are away from their family and friends, they are forced into extreme, inhospitable conditions and contexts, and many must deal with the overwhelming emotions of taking another human's life.

At the end of the day, there are no "good" or "bad" guys. There are only those with the courage to fight for whatever it is they believe in. This level of devotion and sacrifice deserves nothing more than respect.

Who is to say that a German soldier, stuck down in the trenches, covered in filth, doesn't deserve any form of remembrance? Did he not also leave his family behind to go and fight? Whether by choice or conscription both loyalty and courage was displayed, both of which warrant respect.

At the end of the day, everyone involved in war is human, and these people all suffered horrible experiences that should be both recognized and remembered.

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There are also a number of articles that I would like to share without necessarily commenting on them.

This article by Dough Saunders touches on common characterizations of veterans, and whether or not this language should be continually used.

Some veterans across the country silently protested during ceremonies today due to poor policies implemented under the Harper government.

If you want to read more about veterans not being compensated by Veteran's Affairs, Bruce Moncur wrote about his experience serving in Afghanistan.

Harry Leslie Smith also shared his reasoning for choosing to pay respects in private, as the public has begun to skew the meanings of remembrance.

These are all important pieces of the puzzle that Remembrance Day has become. How we choose to pay our respects should be on a more personal level given the different contexts that everyone experiences. However, despite how you choose to pay homage, one thing should remain the same: only the utmost respect is given to all veterans.