A good friend of mine, Deborah Holme, has written a lovely book. It's called "Sarah's Poppy Puppy" http://sarahspoppypuppy.ca/ It's aim is to teach children the significance of Remembrance Day.
For years Deb has been piecing together the story of her Uncle Norval who was killed in the second world war. He was buried in the Netherlands where the same family has been tending his grave since 1944. Through family photos, stories, and correspondence Deb has created a vibrant and edifying novel suitable for children pre-school through grade 5.
At the launch party Deb had an amazing display of her family photos, both of Uncle Norval as well as family trips to the Netherlands throughout the years to visit Norval's grave. Even more interesting were Norval's medals that they had shined up and taken out of the drawer for the first time in several years. As someone who has rarely seen military medals up close I was struck with a thought. Even not knowing what the medals meant I understood that they represented great sacrifice and pride. I thought of all of the medals sent home in lieu of a loved one. I cannot begin to comprehend the grief felt by parents, wives, siblings and children of the men who never returned home. But did they feel a sense of pride that their sacrifice was for the greater good of the country and the world? Was there as much turmoil and confusion over their deployment then as there is today? Or was WWII more black and white than today's war in the Middle East?
Some interesting links:
Canada and the Liberation of the Netherlands
Canada/Netherlands (Veteran Affairs Canada)
The Royal Canadian Regiment Museum (located in London, Ontario)
1 Comment
|
Why a blog?Family history just fascinates me. And not just my own. There are many facts and people that have been lost to time. I really enjoy puzzles and sometimes I come across some really interesting mysteries in my genealogy travels. I'll post some of my musings here. Archives
November 2015
Categories
All
|