We Will Remember Them: 70 Years Since
D-Day in Our Nation’s Capital
by Delany Leitch, Guest Blogger and Former Backus-Page House Museum Summer Staff
Sacrifice. Honour. Heroism. These words were used by every
speaker at every ceremony honoring veterans of the Day of Days, Operation
Overlord on its 70th anniversary Friday, June 6th. They
are the chosen words of those of us living in the legacy of this momentous
event in an attempt to describe something to which no words can do no justice.
During my time at the ceremonies held at the Canadian Museum of Aviation and
Space in Ottawa yesterday, I heard these words and felt profoundly speechless.
But, after a great deal of reflection and thought, there are some things that I
can put into words as a sort of personal homage to this day.
From the minute I stepped into the
museum, I knew that the day was going to be one that would remain in my memory
for a lifetime. As an incredibly passionate student of history, both
academically and informally, I always feel a sense of emptiness and melancholy
around the eleventh of November, and quietly acknowledge the anniversaries of
the hugely significant moments in our past such as D-Day and VE Day. This year
being a major anniversary for D-Day was very exciting for me, as the whole
world would share in the reflection and honoring of the event, and I would be
in Ottawa to be a part of it. So, I made the journey to the museum on the
morning of the sixth, where Canada’s ceremonies were to be held, eager to
witness what was sure to be a memorable and emotional event.
After arriving early, there was time
to explore the museum before the events would get underway. The museum is home
to some fascinating pieces of our military history, including the Avro
Lancaster bomber plane which was used by the RCAF and had a fascinating feature
in Peter Mansbridge’s D-Day special which aired yesterday during the broadcast
of the ceremonies in Normandy. At 11:30, the museum offered a live showing of
the Normandy ceremonies on Juno Beach, with Canada’s ceremonies to be held
outside afterwards. I entered the theater to watch the showing and was
immediately overcome with awe at the crowd. Here was a room full of veterans,
their walkers and canes filling the aisles, sitting altogether with their
families, watching footage of their comrades being honored on the beach where
they fought and fell. It was an absolute honor to sit in the same room as them.
The ceremonies ended up being delayed and so the live footage was pushed back,
but the CBC showed a number of interesting features hosted by Peter Mansbridge.
During one such feature, Peter talked about a veteran in England who escaped
from his care home to attend the ceremonies in France after being told he was
too weak to travel. The entire crowd watched in silent awe as he described the
man’s amazing journey, and after it was over, the veterans broke into a huge
round of applause. Here was one of their fellow soldiers, determined to storm
that beach one more time! Of course, with the day being especially emotional,
this is about the point where the tears welled up, and they stayed there for
the rest of the day.
The theater
at the Canadian Aviation and Space Museum with the crowd of veterans watching
Peter Mansbridge’s features.
Unfortunately, with the ceremonies
being delayed, we were unable to watch them because our own ceremonies were due
to start. We joined the procession of shuffling veterans and made our way into
the brilliant sunshine where tanks and other army vehicles were parked around a
center area draped in Canadian flags. As someone who has not attended many
official Canadian ceremonies before, I was in awe of the entire thing; it
looked just the way such events always do on television.
It was very
exciting to see two RCMP officers and their horses standing guard at the
entrance.
Finally, the
ceremonies got underway. They began with a parade of troops with an army band,
followed by an introduction of the dignitaries in attendance. The governor
general David Johnston was the highest official there, and he inspected the
troops. Then came the speeches by Johnston, as well as the ambassadors from
France and the United Kingdom, and Minister of Justice Peter Mackay, among
others. Then, a man came to the podium and directed our attention towards an
airplane near the front of the stage area. He told us that the plane was called
the Hawker Typhoon, and that they were used in the D-Day offensive to attack in
several waves and target beach defenses in order to clear the way for ground
troops. Spitfires would then fly overhead to protect the Typhoons flying at low
levels. The man then asked that the veterans in attendance who had flown
Typhoons come forward to be photographed with the plane. In the seconds
following this, the entire audience was still, and it seemed to last forever
with no movement. Everyone was looking around frantically to see the heroes
reunited with their old plane. Finally, a slow procession of veterans emerged,
burdened with the effort of walking, but medals shining brightly in the sun. It
was a glorious thing to witness, and something that I will remember forever.
The crowd appropriately gave them a resounding applause, and many photos were
taken of the amazing moment.
The Hawker
Typhoon
The veterans
with David Johnston and the Hawker Typhoon, courtesy of the Ottawa Citizen.
Following this, more speeches were
made, and the laying of the wreaths began. A choir of local students serenaded
the sombre moment, and their haunting rendition of the wartime song “White
Cliffs of Dover” did me in emotion-wise. Then came the last post, moment of
silence, reveille and lament played on the bagpipes with a flyover by a
Canadian jet, which was an intensely powerful moment. In the silent aftermath
of this, a tiny little veteran climbed up to the podium in his navy uniform,
leaned into the microphone and began the Ode of Remembrance: “They shall not
grow old, as we who are left grow old. Age shall not weary them, nor the years
condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember
them.” My voice blended with the crowd’s responding promise to his emotional
tribute: “We will remember them.”
Every time I croak out that promise,
I mean it with everything in my being. I will be studying and researching these
historical events not only for the years of my university degree, but for the
rest of my life. The passion fully extends into all aspects of my life, and a
huge portion of my life is devoted to it. For me, these anniversaries and
ceremonies represent a moment when the world joins me in the passion,
reflection and appreciation that I carry with me every day. To have had the
privilege to be in our nation’s capital among my heroes was something that I
will treasure for the rest of my life, and it was an experience that I am
honored to be able to share.
D-Day
Veterans pose with the Avro Lancaster at the Canadian Museum of Space and
Aviation
