11 Days of Remembrance: The Real Wonder Women

Like I do every year, I made my way to a Legion table, and added more pins to my collection. However, of the five pins I bought today, the one that was pointed out to me by the lovely ladies behind the table was the Canada's Military Women: Celebrating 70 Years of Service pin.

The pin led to a conversation and the story of my great-gram, and the other farm wives who went on to form the Binbrook Willing Workers group (I wrote about them in a previous 11DR miniseries), a reminder that many women were still active contributors to the effort while holding down the fort on the home front.

The pin gave me pause. I found myself thinking about wartime women. Do I know any personally? How many fearless females could I think of? I'm certain I don't know of enough! I don't know of enough Florence Nightingales -nurses extraordinaire- by name. There simply has to be more Kristine Swires in the world, a former padre to my old cadet squadron and the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry. The world needs more ladies of leadership, like Nichola Goddard, only this time, please don't come home draped in the maple leaf.

And then there are the young girls. Everyone is well aware of the story of Anne Frank. But there's also Esther Hautzig, a Polish Jew whose family was exiled to Siberia as war was breaking out -and the exile saved her life, along with the lives of her parents. Ever hear of Sophie Scholl? She and her brother founded the White Rose group, a resistance group to counteract the Hitler Youth and the Nazis. Sophie was tried and executed for treason at the age of 21, fighting on behalf of those who couldn't.

When you think about it, the Wonder Woman we should look up to don't wear bulletproof bracelets and a lasso of truth. Real Wonder Women wear camouflage.

11 Days of Remembrance: Genres and Generals

That time of year has come again where I write on a subject that has long been dear to me- the importance of Remembrance Day. This year, to start off the 2015 edition, I thought I'd bring your attention to a few pieces of literature with a twist: I have yet to read them.

I'm majoring in English, but my minor is in history, with a particular flair towards classes pertaining to the military. As such, I have become privy to some interesting-sounding recommendations, some of which come compliments of my professors.

Enemy at the Gates is well known for being a film from 2001 with Jude Law, Rachel Weisz, and Joseph Fiennes. However, it started out as a book by William Craig. I've seen the film, and it is quite good. It takes place in Russia, and pertains to the Battle of Stalingrad. I don't want to give too much away if you haven't seen the movie. If the old adage of books being better than movies holds true, I can only imagine just how good the novel itself will be!

After much searching, today I finally found the book All Quiet on the Western Front, which was originally a book by German author Erich Maria Remarque, but was also made into a film in the late 1970s. I have yet to see the movie, along with read the book, but I have high hopes and expectations as the film itself has long been highly regarded.

Many people have likely heard of the film Valkyrie. I've never seen it, and I don't plan to as it didn't appear to be acted out well (but that was just my opinion of the trailers... I could be wrong). Once again, at the bookstore today, I came across a wonderful find that I promptly purchased and brought home. It's called Valkyrie: The Plot to Kill Hitler. The book was written by Philipp von Boeselager, who was the last survivor in the plot to assassinate Hitler, and as such is his memoir of the event. I've studied the subject in a few history classes, so I'm fascinated to gain the perspective of a person who was there.

The last book on the list has me quite intrigued as I found it on the floor of the bookstore that is dedicated to sci-fi, fantasy, and comic books. I picked it up because the title caught my name: Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson. I read the synopsis that came with the book, and it sounds like it involves ENIGMA, which was the German code machine, and links it up with modern-day computer/ hacker warfare (if that description may be used). If ENIGMA sounds familiar, it was brought to attention and fame in the movie The Imitation Game, which, sadly, I have yet to see.

I'm hoping these novel finds will give me a new genre to appreciate. After all, I already appreciate their histories.  

11 Days of Remembrance: Sacrificing an Education

I tend to pride myself on my belief that I take a moment to remember every sect who contributed to the war efforts- parents, siblings, women, Willing Workers- but today I learned that there was one very important group whom I had unintentionally omitted. Who that group is I discovered at my university Remembrance Day service.

The thought had never crossed my mind that many of the young men who went off to war were enrolled in university. Young people who were bettering themselves, and investing in their own futures. Students who willingly forfeited their own educations so that future generations could have educations of their own. Today, I learned the names of the many McMaster University students who went off to Europe, and decades later Afghanistan, to never return.

The names of the McMaster students who were killed in action.

 

On the list of names under 1939-1945 was one that I recognized. In Binbrook, Hillgartner is a family name that has been in my community since the beginning. The name Roy H. Hillgartner is one that I've seen over at Binbrook's cenotaph, and heard read aloud, many times over the years. Now I know that not only was he a Binbrook boy, but he was a post-secondary student when he enlisted and died.

 

The university Chancellor, Suzanne Labarge, got up to give us an address. She spoke briefly of the National War Memorial in Ottawa, and how this year the names of the lives lost from the Afghanistan mission will be added. More importantly, though, she spoke of the Silver Cross mothers. This year's Silver Cross mum, who hails from New Brunswick, lost her son in 2009 in Kandahar. Aside from the mother for this year, the Chancellor decided to speak of the Silver Cross mother for 1947.

 

The mother for that year had lost two of her sons in Europe in the Second World War. One was a Flight Sergeant who was killed on September 30, 1942. The other was a Pilot Officer who was killed on March 12, 1943. The mother and her husband learned of the deaths of their sons on the exact same day, despite the boys dying a year apart. As for what else we students learned? 

 

"The National Silver Cross Mother in 1947 was listed in the Order of Service as Mrs. C.H Labarge. I knew her better as Nana. I never knew my Uncle Leo or my Uncle Bernard."

 

That's right. The Silver Cross mum for 1947 was Chancellor Labarge's grandmother.

 

I also learned that student Bernard Trotter, killed in WWI, was the son of a McMaster professor. He also had a piece of his poetry published in Harper magazine while he was still a student. Images of what could have been.

 

In my morning mythology class, which I had before the service, the prof asked us, via poll, why it's important to us that the war dead be buried at home. Many said so the families could pay their respects and say goodbye. Others, as motivation for the future. I said because it feels right. He asked me to elaborate. I had said that home is where we are often born, it's where we're raised, where our family is, a place where feel like we belong. Everyone deserves to be buried where they felt the most belonging.

 

The students who were killed in action may not have been buried on the university grounds, but as we were reminded today, they were part of our McMaster family. A place, living or dead, where they will always belong.

It was a very different service for me today, especially since I'm so accustomed to going to the one at Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum. There was no reading of In Flanders Fields, and those crucial lines from For the Fallen weren't recited. Instead, there was the reading of a piece of poetry from one of the deceased students. Today was a service for students about students.

I am very fortunate, especially for a female. I live in Canada. I'm not oppressed, have I never been, and in this country I never will be. I'm treated as an equal. I carry myself with dignity, respect, and my head held high. And because a number of McMaster students were willing to sacrifice their own educations, I'm able to read, write, study literature, and compose elaborate essays. I'm able to have an education of my own. An education that I will forever appreciate differently.

 

And thus concludes another year of 11 Days of Remembrance. For more on remembrance, please refer back to posts from previous Novembers. Don't forget to read again next year when I do the 2015 edition.

11 Days of Remembrance: 100

100. Seems like a fairly large number, doesn't it? 100% as a perfect score. 100km feels like a rather long trek. 100 as an age many aspire to be. 100. The number of years that have passed since the beginning of the First World War.

We want so badly to believe that August 4, 1914 was a time long, long ago. The reality? It really isn't, especially when you figure my great-gram was born in 1913, and died in 2013. Suddenly, a century doesn't seem like such a long time.

Yes, August 4, 1914 was when the start of the Great War began. But does anyone remember what prompted it? It all started with the assassination of Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie Chotek in Sarajevo on June 28, 1914. And thus sparked the beginning of a war that would last until November 11, 1918.

Canada was still a very young country at the time. We had only been an independent nation for 47 years. And yet, between us and Newfoundland, who hadn't joined our nation yet, over 650 000 went to Europe to fight on the side of the Allied forces. Around 66 000 were killed, with at least another 172 000 wounded.

For a young country, we certainly made sure that the rest of the world knew who we were. We made our presence known at Passchendaele, Ypres, Amiens, the Somme, but perhaps most famously Vimy Ridge, where we took back this crucial vantage point for the French on an assault that started on Easter Monday 1917. April 9 at 5:30 in the morning to be more precise. After four days, we succeeded, but was the cost ever bloody...

And we were known as Stormtroopers, a force to be reckoned with, and not taken lightly. Success at major battles, and some serious intimidation. Not bad for a country that had yet to make half a century. Definitely boast-worthy.

And now here we are, 100 years later. Have we learned anything? Do we understand what it's truly like to be free? We recite MacCrae's In Flander's Fields every year, but does it mean anything now to the generations that have followed since that end in 1918? We've learned that PTSD and shell-shock are legitimate mental health issues, and not excuses for desertion. But really, what have we learned? I've learned that Canada has much to be proud of with its military history. I've learned that if I don't share the stories of veterans- their lives so that we may live- they could be forgotten. I've learned that warfare changes over the decades, but sometimes the end goal remains the same... and that there's always a good side and a bad side. Do people care as much as we want to believe, or do they wear poppies because it's what you do in November? I may need another 100 years before I find all the answers.

I'd quite like to know your thoughts on this. What does 100 mean to you?

For more on Canada's role in the First World War, please follow the link to Veterans Affairs below:
http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/history/first-world-war

11 Days of Remembrance: Can Humpty Be Put Back Together Again?

Today, I'm going to take the time to talk about something very few people like to discuss: mental illness. There are ordeals that those who serve, whether they're military or emergency personnel, endure, traumas that no human should ever have to suffer. Experiences that could cause a person to break. And that's why we're going to open up, and talk about Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

According to the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), PTSD can cause a person to feel like they're constantly on the edge, in fear of reliving a traumatic experience. With PTSD, many feel like they are reliving their trauma, through flashbacks and nightmares, or thoughts about their experiences coming out of nowhere. The moods and emotions of those affected can also change, causing those who suffer to find their own methods of coping, often in the form of alcohol or drugs.

So what can we do? How might we be able to aid those who suffer? The CMHA site suggests learning more about PTSD, and letting those who are affected know that you are there for them. Be willing to talk about it, or better yet, listen when someone who has PTSD is ready open up about their condition.

There are also many other organizations that are dedicated to the health and well-being of those who have physical and mental illnesses, such as Wounded Warriors.

Wounded Warriors is a Canadian not-for-profit organization that's dedicated to helping the members of our Canadian Armed Forces, whether they be regular force or reservists, who have been wounded or injured in service. Whether you're an amputee, or suffer from PTSD, they are dedicated to trying to help members of our forces transition from service to civilian life.

An organization Canadian band The Trews supports is the Canadian Hero Fund.

Often, the ones who are left feeling empty- a trauma of their own- are the families of the fallen. The Canadian Hero Fund is a grass-roots organization whose aim is to raise funds for scholarships for families who have lost loved ones in the line of duty.

A group that I'm a long-time supporter of is the The War Amps of Canada (or in casual conversation, who I refer to as the Canadian War Amps, or simply The War Amps).

It was founded in 1918 by amputees who had returned home from the First World War. Yes, The War Amps of Canada is an organization of amputees assisting other amputees. They offer counseling, self-help, and aim to help improve the overall life of our veteran amps. However, they have expanded from strictly military amputees, and for as long as I can remember, they have also dedicated their services to aiding child amputees. When I was 8 or 9, I had the privilege of meeting Cliff Chadderton, who was not only a WWII amp himself, but he was also the head of The War Amps organization. That meeting is likely why I feel such a strong affiliation toward this organization. Yes, I do send in donations for the key tags (which helped me the year I lost my keys on the back of a truck at Dofasco, but that's another story). It's another way that I choose to give back and help our heroes.

Are those who are suffering from trauma- PTSD or an amputee- ever going to feel like they're whole again? I don't know. I don't have any direct experience myself, nor am I aware of anyone with such conditions. But then, not everyone who suffers lets it be known. So can Humpty be put together again? Maybe not, but there are people, such as myself, and organizations who want to aide those who suffer from PTSD, Shell-Shock, or are amputees, try to live as normally as they desire again. It may not make someone feel complete again, but it is a start.

For more information on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and the organizations discussed, please follow the links below.

Canadian Mental Health Association:
http://www.cmha.ca/mental_health/post-traumatic-stress-disorder/#.VF_efMlUwrw   

Wounded Warriors:
http://woundedwarriors.ca/

Canadian Hero Fund:
http://herofund.ca/

The War Amps of Canada:
http://www.waramps.ca/home.html

11 Days of Remembrance: Generals Die in Bed

Back in the summer, when I first transferred to Mac, I took an English course called Longer Genres. We studied a variety of novels, including one called Generals Die in Bed, which was written by Canadian author and World War One veteran Charles Yale Harrison back in the 1920s.

My copy has this cover. I only just noticed the four stars under the title. Subtle.

Generals Die in Bed is a fictional WWI account being told in the first person by an unknown narrator, chronicling his experiences in France. It starts with the narrator preparing to ship out to Europe- the celebrations, the heroic cheers, the ideas of glory and valour- and leads the reader through the gore, death, and fears of battle that are to come. Spoiler alert: you want every hero to survive, but just like a real war, not everyone makes it out alive.

The title of the book, which is also mentioned in the story, made for an interesting discussion starter in tutorial. Actually, for anyone who's interested in military history or military politics, it'd make for a decent conversation piece there too. The main idea behind the title is that the lower, menial ranks are the ones who are destined to die on the battle field- dirty, starving, fighting for every second of their lives- while the higher officer ranks, such as the generals, get to have a warm bed to sleep in at night and are well fed... The idea that the officers make the plans, but will never act them through themselves. When I was in my tutorial, and we were discussing the significance of the title, I took the Devil's Advocate route, and suggested that the reason why generals get to die in bed instead of a trench is that they had already done their service. You don't just say, "hey, I want a glorious rank," and get it handed over to you freely. You have to earn it. Sure, there was the argument that nothing like the First World War had ever occurred before, which may be true, but from where I was sitting, I was thinking that those generals would have experienced the Boer War, or other battles like it, and that's not exactly something to take lightly.

As for how the book itself was accepted, those who were of the lower ranks praised it as an accurate account of events and experiences. I'm presuming it's like the book equivalent of Saving Private Ryan with regards to war-zone authenticity for those who have never experienced it. However, those who were the higher ranked officers- the ones who were perceived as never having to do the dirty work- saw it as blasphemous and false.  An inaccurate account forged out of anger and spite.

I personally enjoyed this book. It described more than what we could only dare to imagine. Only people who have been in a war zone, thought, would be able to yay or nay this idea for sure. However, anyone who's looking to read a piece of military fiction that's based on reality, I definitely recommend it.     

11 Days of Remembrance: The McMaster Archive

In the basement of McMaster's Mills Library is a really cool archive (it's design is similar to that of my dream personal library). Just outside the main part of the archive is a fascinating display that's dedicated to the First World War. There are medals, letters, photographs, books. All kinds of pieces of World War One history.

I haven't had to chance to appreciate it fully for a longer than a few minutes, so I definitely need to go back to admire it again. With better attention, of course. But what I saw looks pretty fantastic. I have a copy of one of MacCrae's poetry anthologies from the early 1920s, I couldn't help but think about how well it would blend in with the exhibit.

So if anyone's around Mac, and wants to spend a few minutes taking in some Canadian First World War history, go to the basement of Mills, and visit the archive. Unfortunately, I don't know how long that particular display will stay up, so I suggest going sooner than later!