Wednesday, July 2, 2014

A Tribute to the Fallen

Today is the 70th anniversary of D-Day, the day that when Allied forces landed on the beaches of Normandy to commence the final destruction of the Nazi empire.  In this country, there will be a number of reminders of this day and most of them will focus on the heroic actions of the American servicemen who landed on that beach and who fought in that war.  However, what is sometimes lost sight of is that World War II was a "World" War and there were men from other countries who landed on those beaches in Normandy and fought in that war.  

As some of you know, I have a branch of my family that were pioneers of the Canadian West and, in the past, I have been reminded of the contribution made by my Canadian relatives to the cause of Freedom.  On this day, along with remembering the contributions of the American heroes, I will also remember theirs.


Peace.



Family Members Who Served In Canada's Armed Forces Overseas



Lester Mapp – Father
Raphael Mapp - Uncle
Carl Mapp – Uncle
William Stanley Saunders – Uncle
James Earl Saunders – Uncle
A salute to all those who have served

Lest we forget....forget what?
Forget the troops, men and women, who fought for the freedom and rights of other people....the people of all the countries under siege.
They laid down their lives for others, without thinking of their own safety. They helped people in the countries in which they were fighting by caring for them, helping feed them, at the same time giving up some of their own food for starving children.

We will never forget the men and women who put their own lives at risk during the great wars, the
“incidents” and the UN peacekeeping assignments, which have ravaged and are still ravaging much of this world. Many of our troops have served in skirmishes, incidents and other battles which have never been given the respect and honour which they deserve.

Those of us who were too young, too old or not fit enough to serve alongside these brave men and women stand here free and able to live in comfort because of the sacrifices of so many.

To all those who served and are serving: we salute you with pride.
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.






A Wise Comedian

One of the more memorable moments for me from my attendance at the Amherst Black Alumni Reunion in 2013 did not occur with the Amherst Black Alumni.  In fact it did not occur at Amherst at all.  One of the more memorable moments occurred the Monday night after the reunion when, after a day of sightseeing in New York, Ping and I returned to Princeton, New Jersey, for our night's rest.  Before returning to the hotel, Ping treated me to dinner at what appeared to be one of the better eating establishments in downtown Princeton.  During the course of our conversation, we found ourselves engaged in a conversation with a man who had been dining alone at a table one over from our own.  Somewhere during the conversation, we became aware of each other's backgrounds and we briefly discussed the fact that his profession in life was the buying of companies. I suppose he would be akin to the Richard Gere character in the movie "Pretty Woman". We discussed some of his business dealings for a brief while but surprisingly the conversation took on a more spiritual tone.  For the next two hours, we sat there chatting about our personal theologies and spiritual experiences.  We talked and talked until the restaurant workers began to indicate that it was time to close.  So we left the restaurant and talked on the streets of Princeton for a good fifteen to twenty minutes more. 

Since that time, we have kept in touch and last week he sent me an unusual email about a commencement address given by the comedic actor Jim Carrey.  It may seem strange, but I found the address given by Mr. Carrey to be rather profound.  Perhaps, you will as well.

Peace.


To watch a great commencement speech by Jim Carey MUM, go to:
 
 
It will be well worth your time.