Facing these iconic monuments, so many emotions arise. These monuments so carefully and meticulously designed by men to evoke emotion and, what else... Respect? Reverencee? Admiration? There remains another monument maybe not as often considered - the land itself. As we make the drive to see the much anticipated Vimy monument, does the land itself not stand as a testament? If you didn't know the reason behind the irregular appearance of the fields you could convince yourself that it was an enchanted space with little hills and valleys - a fairyland. But the reality of those hills and valleys, those pock marks on the French landscape, is not so enchanting. The trenches that zig zag through Vimy and Beaumont-Hamel tell the awful truth of trench life in World War I. As you look at those tunnels that were home to so many soldiers - the land itself speak if its horrible memories. The scars it bears tell me that the war will not be forgotten. Though crops now grow in fields that have been recovered, the ground remembers that young men died there; that people did unspeakable things to each other on those fields.
The land forgives though. Fields are restored. Roads are rebuilt. Towns are brought back to life and in sharp contrast, children run and play in glorious innocence where humanity once devised plans to annihilate one another. I can't help but think that the soldiers who once trod upon it, smile contentedly while children run innocently over. Psalm 19: 1 says, "The heavens declare the glory of God." What then does this land declare? - Submitted by Kathryn
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Upon arriving in Dieppe, one can observe a pleasant port town with tourists and beaches. We arrived on Bastille Day so the town was full of people enjoying the fine weather and beautiful scenery. Relating this to the historic significance of this town in the Canadian narrative is difficult on first encounter.
The geography is severe; it is difficult to imagine how or why it was chosen for an assault. The sheer walls on either side of the beachhead offer a commanding view of the landing site. We were asked to simulate charging the beach. When looking up from the high tide mark to the beachhead and the heights above it is hard to imagine how any troops were able to get across. The emplaced guns would have an amazing vantage point from which to fire on the troops attempting to cross. Observing this it is clear that no permanent landing could have been imagined, and a tactical success could not have been the goal. The strategic importance of the raid was clearly the motivation behind the operation. Offering hope to those suffering under German occupation and giving notice to the Russians that their western allies were committed to putting pressure on the Germans at any cost must have played a central role in the objectives of the raid. The evidence of the effect of the strategic importance is the number of Canadian flags hanging in the city. If Dieppe was so pointless and a failure as many Canadians have been taught, why are we so valued here? Speaking to locals here, they still appreciate our effort. Clearly the Canadian sacrifice was appreciated and at least the objective of lifting morale for the people of occupied Europe was successful. I still struggle with the number of our casualties and the high chance of mortality for those committed, but at least now I understand the significance of the effort. I hope that the operational knowledge gained from this venture that was employed in later amphibious assaults was worth the grave price paid by our men in arms. - Submitted by Mike Yesterday was an emotional day for a lot of us. Visiting Vimy was an experience I never thought I would have in my lifetime; however, it was emotional in more ways then one.
Part of our assignment for this PD is creating a soldier profile. We are given a name and it is up to us on how to present our soldier. We have immersed ourselves in these files, finding letters, war diaries from our service man's battalion, pictures etc. For most of us it has been an overwhelming experience. You come to know these men whose graves we visit, and we begin to feel as though we know them. I know at the end of mine I teared up a little. You spend so much time researching you can't help but feel a connection. Many of us have found personal and community connections to our soldiers. Some have done it on the solider their school is named after, others great-uncles and to see their graves, row on row or some even where they fell on the battlefield. We have visited various different graves and vastly different presentations have unfolded. Mine was a history of the battle, which I knew nothing about about, whereas others have done it as a first person narrative or an entry in a diary. We have even had a shot of Whiskey in honour of one at his grave. To say connections haven't been forged has been a lie. Many connections have been made between the past and present in these cemeteries that span the regions of France and Belgium where the wars were fought. As we enter into our second week of study, I look forward to hearing more of these stories and making more connections with men whose memory will live on forever through us. - Submitted by Jessica Stepping into the Hangard Wood Cemetery in Northern France, surrounded by golden fields of wheat, accessible only by dirt road, I felt more like I was home in Saskatchewan than in Europe. Indeed, aside from the small but conspicuous cemetery, placed right in the middle of a farmer's field, it all felt oddly familiar. Perhaps that's why the memorialization of the soldier presented this day hit so close to home.
John Croak, born in Newfoundland but raised in Nova Scotia, felt particularly real to me. I don't know if it's because he was the same age as me when he died, or because the setting felt so oddly reminiscent, but private Croak's story really moved me (it is worth mentioning that the memorial was also tremendously well-crafted and presented by the researcher today). Every detail we learned about felt so human, so genuine. Every setback painful. Every success powerful. And when we learned of his death, my traditionally stalwart rational, detached reaction fell by the wayside. I felt like John Croak just as easily could have been me. I immediately identified that as a guilty and obnoxiously self-indulgent feeling. I was not private Croak, nor have I ever experienced anything nearly as challenging as the trials and tribulations he faced from enlistment onwards. Yet my empathy for the man felt limitless. If I were born in a different time, that could be me. But it couldn't actually, could it? I could never live through that era, could I? Yet so many did. These questions rattled around my brain for quite some time, but I could never answer them. My true feelings always felt out of reach, like birds fluttering around in the distant corners of a room. As I walked out of the small, Hangard Wood Cemetery, out-of-the-way and seeminlgy rarely visited, I was unsettled. How could one man among millions of war dead coax such questions out of me? Why must we, as humans, always return selfishly to ourselves in our speculations? Can anyone truly understand war without experiencing it? I attempted to shrug off these questions as we returned to our vehicles, ready to continue our day. As we drove away, I gave one last look back towards the cemetery, knowing the likelihood of ever returning there in my lifetime was infinitesimal. If I squinted really hard, though, I still feel like I was home, back in the fields of Saskatchewan. Today, the group visited Vimy Ridge, and Hill 70. I was immediately met with a wave of humility, emotion, and pride. Vimy Ridge may quite possibly be the most well known battle in 150 years of Canadian history - Hill 70 isn't, but I believe it was just important. Seeing the monument at Vimy, that honours 11,285 Canadian and Allied soldiers whose bodies were either never found, or were un-recognizable, I was humbled as I saw the names of many men not much older than I, whose lives were taken in a viscous assault to overtake possibly one of the most coveted areas in the First World War. Hill 70 is just as important; an unbelievable amount of casualties for the Canadians and Allied forces. I was completely humbled, teary, and couldn't help but feel a little proud of my country for erecting such a beautiful monument for our soldiers. I felt humbled and hold the deepest respect for those who gave their lives for me, and my family, so that we might reap the benefits of their sacrifices. While at Vimy I was emotional, and speechless as I sat at the foot of the most well known monument to Canadian soldiers ever where the most well known Canadian battle of all time took place. I wrote a Soldier biography in the fall and winter on Private Albert Hunt of Ottawa. He enlisted in the summer of 1916, and was struck on strength to the Battle of Vimy Ridge, which was his first taste of combat. He was killed at Vimy in the first half hour of the battle, leaving behind his two parents. Driving by Zivy Crater and getting to see where he spent his final hours before being called up to the sky to be with his creatorwas an incredible and surreal experience, and for that, I am forever grateful.
- Submitted by Marshall I would like to share with you some information about the cemetery, before moving to a personal discussion:
Langemark cemetery is one of only four First World War German cemeteries in the Flanders region. The total figure of casualties in this cemetery is close to 44,300 war dead: 19,378 identified and almost 25,000 unidentified and interred in a mass grave (Kameraden Grab / ‘’Comrades Graves’’). The name of "Studentenfriedhof" (Student Cemetery) was given to this cemetery because of the more than 3,000 student volunteers who were killed in battle in October and November 1914 during repeated attacks in the First Battle of Ypres. About 15% of Germany's volunteer soldiers were students and high school graduates. During the First Battle of Ypres, many of them would face a much more experienced British Army. At the back of the mass grave there is a group of statues of four mourning soldiers created by Munich sculptor Professor Emil Krieger. Standing with their backs against the wall, the statues need to be regarded from a distance. The statues are very plain. The intention of the total image was to evoke reflection. At the entrance of the cemetery, one finds a monumental gate made of pink Weserberg sandstone. Oak trees representing strength are planted within the cemetery, a constant in most German Military cemeteries. In 1917, the block houses (bunkers) were build. These came from the local area and were most likely moved to the cemetery after the war. When I entered this cemetery, the general feeling was one of deep sadness. Everything is dark in colour: crosses, statues and tombstones. And because of the many oak trees, light has difficulty shining through, which increases the austere experience. To see eight names to every headstone (and to realize there are more than 44,000 dead German soldiers in just one cemetery) adds to the senselessness of wars. It is a very different experience to visiting a Commonwealth War Grave Commission Cemetery, with rows of white tombstones, flowers and manicured cut grass. Walking in a CWGC cemetery feels more like a walk in a garden: it gives a sense of peace and tranquility. Although both honor the sacrifice of their soldiers, the feeling on the visitors is very different. - Submitted by Simon Today we discussed the significance of Beaumont-Hamel and Courcelette. We also visited Notre-Dame-de-Lorette—France's monument to the fallen soldiers at La Somme.
I was most touched by the visit to Notre-Dame-de-Lorette. I think perhaps it was the cross at the church which really resonated with me today. I felt peace, sadness, and hope. The crosses at the monuments were calming to me. Upon entering the chapel, I felt hope and security. I felt the love of a Higher Power and a strong urge to pray for all the fallen. I felt safe and loved and felt the same for the fallen. I am struggling with the constant feeling of inadequacy. How do we learn, how do we come to know ourselves, how do we have landmarks in our minds, How as we "stand" on anything if, like the battlefield of La Somme, THERE IS NO SOLID GROUND?? Where is the solid ground?? Must we wallow in the mud? Can we not put our trust in anything? - Submitted by Lorelei Our first day was a great introduction to the type of conversations, discussions, and challenges we'll be involved in these next two weeks. One of the themes that was brought up was the idea of perspective. For example, who was responsible for starting the Great War? Is there only one answer? Is it cut and dry? We physically changed locations as we thought about our beliefs, standing near others who believed the same. We were then encouraged to present why we chose where we stood and were given the opportunity to change locations if we changed our thoughts. Since all thoughts were valid, I thought this could be a good strategy to use with students, giving them the opportunity to present their ideas but also the ability to re-evaluate and change ideas if they wanted. The idea of perspective is such an important concept. Evaluating both sides and understanding rationale and motivation is something that can be used with many different topics. Cultivating this strategy in a culture of respect is something I would like to bring into my classroom.
Our first day was a great introduction to the type of conversations, discussions, and challenges we'll be involved in these next two weeks. One of the themes that was brought up was the idea of perspective. For example, who was responsible for starting the Great War? Is there only one answer? Is it cut and dry? We physically changed locations as we thought about our beliefs, standing near others who believed the same. We were then encouraged to present why we chose where we stood and were given the opportunity to change locations if we changed our thoughts. Since all thoughts were valid, I thought this could be a good strategy to use with students, giving them the opportunity to present their ideas but also the ability to re-evaluate and change ideas if they wanted. The idea of perspective is such an important concept. Evaluating both sides and understanding rationale and motivation is something that can be used with many different topics. Cultivating this strategy in a culture of respect is something I would like to bring into my classroom.
- Submitted by Ronda Our first day was a great introduction to the type of conversations, discussions, and challenges we'll be involved in these next two weeks. One of the themes that was brought up was the idea of perspective. For example, who was responsible for starting the Great War? Is there only one answer? Is it cut and dry? We physically changed locations as we thought about our beliefs, standing near others who believed the same. We were then encouraged to present why we chose where we stood and were given the opportunity to change locations if we changed our thoughts. Since all thoughts were valid, I thought this could be a good strategy to use with students, giving them the opportunity to present their ideas but also the ability to re-evaluate and change ideas if they wanted. The idea of perspective is such an important concept. Evaluating both sides and understanding rationale and motivation is something that can be used with many different topics. Cultivating this strategy in a culture of respect is something I would like to bring into my classroom.
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