Today is November 11th. And at the 11th hour on this 11th day of the 11th month, we should all stop to remember. Whether we call it Remembrance Day (through the Commonwealth) or Veteran’s Day (in the US), we all pause to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
Veterans’ Affairs in Canada posts a map of events taking place today. See http://www.vac-acc.gc.ca/remembers/sub.cfm?source=feature/week2010/mappings
And CBC news had a terrific story earlier this week http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2008/11/07/f-remembrance-day.html#ixzz14yg17jpc
Many Canadians and Newfoundlanders (before joining Canada) lost their lives in military service, and many Canadians and Newfoundlanders feel compelled to walk in their footsteps, and see where their ancestors died.
Newfoundlanders well know the story of Beaumont Hamel, and scores go to visit the bronze caribou that symbolizes the brave 1st Battalion of the Newfoundland Regiment.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2Q5tgTQxCE&feature=related]
http://www.vac-acc.gc.ca/remembers/sub.cfm?source=memorials/ww1mem/beaumonthamel
http://www.vac-acc.gc.ca/remembers/sub.cfm?source=memorials/directions/nf_beaumonthamel
While you can explore the European battlefields on your own, there are tour companies popping up left, right, and centre to offer guided assistance. But for those of us who have to tour the battlefields from our desks, there is much info and virtual tours online too.
There is the Canadian Battlefield Foundation http://www.canadianbattlefieldsfoundation.ca/
Virtual tours of Juno Beach http://www.junobeach.org/centre/english/experience/index.html
Information on Vimy Ridge http://www.vac-acc.gc.ca/remembers/sub.cfm?source=memorials/ww1mem/vimy
Info on other battlefields http://www.canadianbattlefields.ca/?cat=36
and there is also a virtual war memorial http://www.virtualmemorial.gc.ca/
Lest we forget.