65th Anniversary of D-Day

A lovely, sunny Friday in My Muskoka. Time for reflection.
I am no horstorian ,errr.... historian? But have you seen the new horse stamps? My husband is quite thrilled, loving horses as he does! He grew up in Chesterville. I have told his story before, about the big work horses on a farm.

May 15th: "OTTAWA - Canada Post today issued two domestic-rate stamps honouring the Canadian Horse and the Newfoundland Pony. Canada’s first settlers faced a rugged landscape and extreme weather conditions. Nonetheless, they went and conquered the land, in large part thanks to the help they received from these fine members of the equine family."

Some of this type of story I told in my History of Nepean PPT. I did this for my Social Studies student teachers when I taught at uOttawa: History of Nepean.

We cannot sit out much, due to the bugs. But I anticipate such soon in the heat of the day, and June sunshine! It is a great season to sit and read - I try to read some history, as it was not one of my best subjects in school! Now, with life experience, the stories have so much more meaning for me.

This is the 65th Anniversary of D-Day, CBC has a fine post on this. There are a number of books that document this historic day. And a fair number that document the contribution that 15,000 Canadians made to taking the beach. We are losing our veterans to age, and it is important to tell the stories. It is in history that we learn. We keep our loved ones alive by doing so.

I often think of my late mother and father on days like this. Mom's first fiancée died overseas. Her story consisted of volunteer work, but there was an effect on the women. Mom had lots of postcards, and their family knew many of the men who went overseas. Her photo album was filled with some of these photos.

I have no idea who these people are, as the names are there, but Mom did not take out these photos in my memory.

Dad was trained in Halifax, but due to health reasons did not go. I wonder if his brain tumour was growing even then. One of my favourite photos is of him with his sister, Irene Humphrey. The men and women were so proud to serve.

You can see him in the top, back right of the class photo.












I know that teachers work hard with students around Remembrance Day, Nov. 11th. My students always became quite engaged in the history of it. We wrote a lot: poems, essays, charts, and interviewed family members.

See also: CBC ARCHIVES

• D-Day: Canadians Target Juno Beach
• 1939-1945: A Soldier's War
• Countdown to Victory: The Last Days of War in Europe
• Victory! The End of the War in Europe
• Welcome Home, Soldier! Life in Postwar Canada

Much information remains. Videos:

In Flanders Fields 2 min 19 sec

In Flanders Fields - Lest We Forget 2 min 42 sec

Here is some more reading for you:

In Flanders Fields - Veterans Affairs Canada 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 ...
In Flanders Fields: The Story of the Poem by John McCrae by Linda Granfield and Janet Wilson (Hardcover - April 18 2005) My students found this an amazing book - at all grades.

Juno: Canadians at D-Day, June 6, 1944 by John Keegan and Ted Barris (Hardcover - Jan 24 2004)

Holding Juno: Canada's Heroic Defence of the D-Day Beaches: June 7-12, 1944 by Mark Zuehlke (Paperback - May 18 2006)

Juno Beach: 3rd Canadian and 79th Armoured Divisions by Tim Saunders (Paperback - Jan 1 2004)

D:Day: Juno Beach, Canada's 24 Hours of Destiny by Lance Goddard (Paperback - Mar 1 2004)

For a more modern story, our men and women still die in war. Read

Fifteen Days: Stories of Bravery... Hardcover by Christie Blatchford