Opinion: Let’s support our veterans with a sea of red poppies

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Every year since 1921, when autumn turns the leaves red and yellow, and other flowers are dying, the poppy blooms over the hearts of Canadians from coast to coast.

Soon we will pause to remember the sacrifices made by so many of our fellow citizens who fought and died in the World Wars and Korea, Bosnia and Afghanistan. More than 1,856,000 Canadians served, 112,500 paid the ultimate price, and 231,200 were wounded. They all fought in defence of not only our freedom, but that of countless others around the world. From personal experience, I know that the people of Italy, France, Belgium and Holland remember that they owe their freedom, in part, to Canadians.

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We will also remember those who served and survived and, though physically intact, came home irrevocably damaged. Whether from physical wounds, or PTSD, the scars remain and affect them and their families for a lifetime. No one comes home unchanged by the horrors of war. We remember the families torn apart by the loss of fathers and mothers, sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, and the dreams dashed, the children never to be born.

We remember those who have served and are serving, at home and abroad in times of relative peace, including peacekeeping missions from the Middle East to Africa, Cyprus and many more. The enlistment contract that every soldier, sailor and airman signs is tantamount to a blank cheque, payable to the people of Canada, in an amount up to and including their lives.

At any time, they could be called upon to risk their lives on our behalf, as so many already have. In these troubled times we may need them again to defend freedom. Assaults on freedom-loving people are a never-ending theme in our modern world. These are the men and women to whom we owe our freedom, our very way of life. Our duty, as Canadians, is to honour and remember them.

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To be clear, we do not — and our veterans do not — encourage or glorify war. Our serving troops certainly don’t. Sometimes there is no choice. Freedom is worth defending, and we honour and remember those willing to defend it on our behalf.

The Royal Canadian Legion exists not only to promote remembrance of the sacrifices made by our veterans, but also to ensure that they, and their families, are supported after leaving the Canadian Armed Forces. From lobbying the federal government on their behalf, to helping to navigate the labyrinth that is Veterans Affairs, to emergency aid, we are there for our veterans.

We support the veterans hospital in Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, and the Sentinels program of the Old Brewery Mission aimed at homeless veterans. We support community mental health programs, and provide educational bursaries for their children. We provide a place to gather with other veterans in our branches. When we lose a veteran, we honour them and their families with a Legion service, and burial with full honours.

All of this, however, depends on poppy donations, which in turn depend on you — 100 per cent of poppy profits go to serving our veterans.

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Displays of poppies will be popping up in stores starting Oct. 25. Legion members, volunteers, cadets and serving members of the Armed Forces will be out distributing poppies. Seek them out; wear a poppy. Grab a few and encourage your family and friends to proudly wear them.

Call your local Legion, or go to Legion.ca and volunteer to help. Attend local Remembrance Day ceremonies; locations are available at the website. Lastly, join us. If you believe, as we do, that our veterans deserve our support, join your local branch so that we, as a country, will always remember.

Any Canadian citizen can join. In the immortal words on John McCrae, “To you from failing hands, we throw the torch. Be yours to hold it high.”

This year, let’s see a veritable sea of red, and show our veterans that their sacrifices are, and always will be, remembered and appreciated. “Lest we forget.”

Martin Bruyère is president of the General Vanier Branch 234 of the Royal Canadian Legion in Roxboro.

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