Tuesday, June 10, 2014

We Will Remember Them: 70 Years Since D-Day in Our Nation's Capital


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

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