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It brought back a painful memory

November 16, 2016   ·   0 Comments

I had the distinct honour this week of attending Orangeville’s Remembrance Day ceremony.

Taking place at the cenotaph behind town hall, it brought what felt like the entire community conglomerating to the site to pay their respects to all the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice over the years to ensure that we are able to live the lives we lead today.

Although I consider myself a fairly well traveled individual, having had the privilege of attending a number of Remembrance Day ceremonies in different communities spanning two continents, I can quite comfortably say I have never experienced anything quite like what I saw, and felt, in Orangeville last Friday.

It wasn’t just the sheer number of bodies that crammed their way into Alexandra Park for the ceremony, nor was it anything particular to do with the service itself. I think it was more about the general feeling and atmosphere that filled the air on what was a bitterly cold morning.

You could almost taste the emotion as residents followed members from the local Legion, military veterans, Orangeville fire fighters, local cadets and several different instrumental bands as they paraded down Broadway en route to the cenotaph site on Second Street.

Upon their arrival, the silence often reserved for the Last Post and prayers swept over the crowd almost immediately. As the service began, it was impossible to find a single soul who looked out of place. Impressive, especially when considering the fact that a couple hundred students from the local elementary schools and high schools were given permission to attend. All in all, it made for a special multi-generational makeup appropriate for such an occasion.

Dufferin-Caledon MP David Tilson, Orangeville Mayor Jeremy Williams and a representative of MPP Sylvia Jones each recited prayers before the names of all those local residents who died while serving their country were read out to the public amidst a booming chorus of cries from the thundering skies.

It was touching, particularly for me, to see a small collection of older veterans gathered immediately beside the cenotaph. Despite their age, the quintet was incredibly disciplined – standing tall and proudly saluting throughout the majority of the near hour-long service. They represented both themselves and their fallen brothers and sisters incredibly well.

We all have a personal connection to loss and sacrifices of our servicemen and servicewomen. You’d be hard-pressed to find anyone without a story to tell about a family member or close friend afflicted by war.

For me, it’s a childhood friend. After growing up with this individual, sharing a street with him for most of my youth, playing different sports together and celebrating birthdays on an annual basis, it was particularly painful for me to learn he’d been killed on his first tour of Afghanistan in 2010.

As each year goes by, the memory of my friend lives on inside me. I’m sure the same can be said for the thousands upon thousands of good men and women killed in the line of duty. Ever since that day six years ago, the poppy and the words spoken in the Ode of Remembrance have taken on a special meaning in my life. They will continue to do so until the day I die.

Lest we forget the sacrifices of all of our service men and women and, rest assured, we will continue to remember those who have fallen.

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