In Remembrance

[Every Breaking Wave]

89 years ago today World War I ended on the Western Front. Including civilians, there were 40 million casualties, including 20 million deaths.

In Flanders Fields

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.


We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.


Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

— John McCrae

Lest we Forget

 

[Turtle Tamer Kammy]

Wow, 90 years... that's amazing.

 

[Fig]

89 years, actually.

The war ended in 1918, not 1917.

 

[Keeper Of The Cards]

Jules was just rounding it, that's all.

I would rather say 100 than 99 if it was in years.

 

[GrnMarvl14]

What are those first and last monuments? I'm surprised I've never seen a picture of that last one before, it's fairly distinct.

 

[Every Breaking Wave]

What are those first and last monuments? I'm surprised I've never seen a picture of that last one before, it's fairly distinct.

These are all pictures I took while touring France in April; they are all of locations where Canada fought in World Wars I and II. The first is of three soldiers at Juno Beach (where Canada landed during the Battle of Normandy). The second is the Canadian National Vimy Memorial at Vimy Ridge, the place where Canada is said to have become a nation through it's actions in World War I.

 

[flyinglilypad]

It's sad to think that in another 90 years we'll be celebrating another war anniversary. That is, assuming the war ends this year. (Which it probably won't). Then in another 30 years from now when most people have forgotten we'll have another one. More people will die. More monuments will be built and graves will be dug.

 

[Every Breaking Wave]

War is like the sun; eternal and cyclical. Only when the sun breathes it's last gasp shall war do the same...

 

[Calvin]

Wow.

That is so nice, remembering all the soldiers who risked their lives to save our lives..

 

[flyinglilypad]

Wow.

That is so nice, remembering all the soldiers who risked their lives to save our lives..

I don't know about Canada, but so far as I can tell, America wasn't at risk in WWI. At least not when we jumped in. Not that I'm not for WWI. We had to save our French and English brethren, didn't we?

 

[Every Breaking Wave]

I don't know about Canada, but so far as I can tell, America wasn't at risk in WWI. At least not when we jumped in. Not that I'm not for WWI. We had to save our French and English brethren, didn't we?

Canada's directly north of the continental US. If the US wasn't in danger, it's a good bet that Canada wasn't either (although I would like to point out that there WERE German U-Boats patrolling the St. Lawrence at that time).

Really, World War I was mainly a European war; that is where the bulk of the fighting took place. Although Canada was technically a nation at the time, we were still a colony of Britain. The second that Britain declared war on the German Empire, Canada was forced to as well (along with Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India...). After World War I, each of those nations had their roles in the British constitution amended (aka, they didn't have to do everything Britain said anymore). Thats one of the reasons why when Britain declared war on Nazi Germany in World War II, Canada delayed her declaration of war for a full week.

Some more pictures:

Mulberry Harbour at Arromanches (Gold Beach, World War II - British invasion at Normandy)

German Bunker at Juno Beach (World War II - Canadian invasion at Normandy)

One of thousands of wartime graveyards dotted around the French countryside

Another graveyard shot

Quote about the Battle of Passchendaele, one of the bloodiest battles in history

A preserved Vimy Ridge trench - people ate, slept, lived, and died in these things for four years. Many developed a condition called "trenchfoot"

 

[Angry_Tsutomu]

Jules was just rounding it, that's all.

I would rather say 100 than 99 if it was in years.

Yes. The war may have ended around here on Monday, November 11, 1918 which ended at 11:00 AM which happened to be 89 years ago almost 2 days ago today or 89 years and 2 days. I was just using my Starry Night Program on the years after me adjusting the dates and times on it and had it go up to 2007 that Monday, November 11, 1918 at 11 AM and Sunday, November 11, 2007 at 12 AM was the same exact time of year as 89 years happens to be rounded to 32,506 days 13 hours 20 minutes and 13.737984 in my opinion because I even rounded a month to 30.43684992 days because when I took 365.242199 days per year and divided by 12 months per year, I received 30.4368491666 days as my answer so that had to be rounded to 30.43684992 and remultiplied. When you take 100 Jahrs out of something, you make a Jahrhundert which is German for years and centuries. It's going to be 100 years in approximately 10 years and 363 days.

 

[the gadfly]

WW1: The War to End All Wars.

I'd guess we didn't learn one God damned thing except how to kill better!