110904 Remembrance Day

Veterans' Week (November 5 - 11, 2004)

This year marks the 60th anniversary of D-Day and the Battle of Normandy.

Excerpt from Veteran Affairs Canada : "Since the end of the First World War, Canadians around the world have taken time to remember the sacrifices and achievements of the men and women who served their country in times of war and peace.

In 2004, Canada marks the 60th anniversary of D-Day and the Battle of Normandy. On June 6, 1944, Allied troops stormed the beaches of Normandy, and the Canadian Airmen and Sailors were among the first into action.

D-Day and the Battle of Normandy was one of Canada's most significant military engagements, which led to the end of the Second World War. Those who fought there, many giving their lives, must be remembered."

We remember, and we thank you.

First World War

The Canadian Corps came to be valued as one of the most effective military formations on the Western Front. Their first full-scale demonstration of this came in April 1917, at the Vimy Ridge, which they captured with superb planning and preparation. Vimy was the pinnacle of Canadian military achievement in the First World War.

Second World War

More than one million Canadians and Newfoundlanders served in the Second World War. Of these, more than 45,000 gave their lives and another 55,000 were wounded. Countless others shared the suffering and hardships of war.

The Dieppe Raid (August 19, 1942) is probably the best-remembered Canadian battle of the Second World War. There were heavy losses and great sacrifice. Although tragic, many say that the lessons learned at Dieppe were the key to the success of the D-Day landings on June 6, 1944.

Korean War

All branches of Canada's Armed Forces saw action in Korea: ground, naval and air. On the ground 22,000 soldiers made up the Canadian Army Special Force, fighting a campaign that took them over mountains and through swamps and rice paddies. They endured conditions that ranged from torrential rains to snow and freezing cold and the enemy was behind every hill.

Peacekeeping

More than 100,000 Canadians have participated in United Nations (and NATO) peacekeeping duties throughout the world. Canada has deployed more peacekeepers than any other country.