95 years, since Vimy Ridge...

[CDNBear]

Wreaths, tears mark 95 years since Vimy Ridge battle

Thousands of Canadians gathered at the site of the Battle of Vimy Ridge Monday, to mark 95 years since the fight in northern France that some say was a turning point in forging Canada's identity as an independent nation.


Veterans Affairs Minister Steven Blaney joined 5,000 young Canadians for ceremonies at the Canadian National Vimy Memorial, which overlooks the Douai Plain from the highest point of Vimy Ridge.

More at CTV

95 Years ago, today, Canada earned her place on the big map.

LWF, Je Me Souviens.

 

[petros]

I've been to the monument, It's a very humbling place.

 

[SLM]

I'm not a history buff, I don't know battles or whether or not one particular battle marked victory or not. But when I look at pictures of the young men that went off to Europe during WWI, boys really, I can't help but feel for them. For what they went through, what their families went through. And when I read about all those names carved into that wall, it sends chills down my spine.

 

[Goober]

I'm not a history buff, I don't know battles or whether or not one particular battle marked victory or not. But when I look at pictures of the young men that went off to Europe during WWI, boys really, I can't help but feel for them. For what they went through, what their families went through. And when I read about all those names carved into that wall, it sends chills down my spine.

When I was in CFB Chatham I attended a Remembrance Day Ceremony. They read the Honor Roll. I listened to each name and many a time you would hear, 3 or 4 with the same last name. Afterward I looked in the telephone book for the area. Many names were not there. Many I assumed that died in the War were the only sons in that family and ended that family line.

 

[EagleSmack]

I've read enough books about WWI and my grandmother's cousin was in the Royal Newfoundland Regt. and was killed during that war. I did a report on him in college.

It was such a slaughter. Gosh the casualties and conditions of that war. Mobile armor just wasn't powerful enough to break the stalemate of trench warfare and machine guns were quite powerful of mowing men down.

 

[SLM]

When I was in CFB Chatham I attended a Remembrance Day Ceremony. They read the Honor Roll. I listened to each name and many a time you would hear, 3 or 4 with the same last name. Afterward I looked in the telephone book for the area. Many names were not there. Many I assumed that died in the War were the only sons in that family and ended that family line.

That's such a huge sacrifice for a single family. And why it would be a complete shame if we didn't strive to remember them at least once a year.

 

[Goober]

I've read enough books about WWI and my grandmother's cousin was in the Royal Newfoundland Regt. and was killed during that war. I did a report on him in college.

It was such a slaughter. Gosh the casualties and conditions of that war. Mobile armor just wasn't powerful enough to break the stalemate of trench warfare and machine guns were quite powerful of mowing men down.

I recall reading that you could go from the Med to the Baltic and rarely leave a trench.

 

[EagleSmack]

I recall reading that you could go from the Med to the Baltic and rarely leave a trench.

From the Channel to Switzerland for sure. It wasn't just one trench. Layers and layers, criss crossing and the depths of the defences went on forever. Constant retaking and losing trenches. Connecting old enemy trenches to your own, then losing them and the process was repeated from the other side.

 

[Goober]

From the Channel to Switzerland for sure. It wasn't just one trench. Layers and layers, criss crossing and the depths of the defences went on forever. Constant retaking and losing trenches. Connecting old enemy trenches to your own, then losing them and the process was repeated from the other side.

What many do not realize is that both sides were using tactics from the US Civil War.

Some maps of trenchs - Check the BBC site.

BBC - History - World Wars: Animated Map: The Western Front, 1914 - 1918

maps of trenches wwi - Google Search

 

[BruSan]

Yeah they were sometimes digging within a shovel length of each others lines and not knowing it. I remember reading and watching a documentary about the strategy of burying tons of munitions underground to be blown if and when the enemy re-took an area only to have these munitions forgotten and explode in the more recent years from errant lightning strikes.

Had a history teacher that suffered "shell-shock" during that conflict and he would sometimes go absolutely bat-chit if he perceived a student disrespecting him. He was taken out of the classroom on many occasions by the principal and the phys-ed teacher teaming up to remove him from doing a student or himself harm. Must have suffered terribly while 'over there'.

I marvel at our servicemen and women who have returned from any kind of battlefield to resume a normal lifestyle. How do they do it? more importantly what right do we have to expect them to?

 

[EagleSmack]

Just a snapshot ...

 

[gerryh]

That's such a huge sacrifice for a single family. And why it would be a complete shame if we didn't strive to remember them at least once a year.

Remembering is not enough obviously. We "remember" every year, and yet, we still send our young away to be killed.