passing month, the day will come when there are no more. Those comrades of Private Bouchard who came home and are still with is, have an average age of 95. The average age for the Korean War is 88. Anyone who attends, Remembrance Day ceremonies each 11 November can tell you that the ranks of old soldiers grow thin. BUT hOWWELL DOWE REMEMBER? Certainly there is no shortage of material available. Major First and Second World War anniversaries and commemorations abroad are widely covered by the media and attended by Canadians. The 100th anniversary of Vimy Ridge in 2017 was attended by approximately 25,000 Canadians who made the trip overseas in what was the largest mass movement of Canadians in peacetime. Bookstores are full of recent and outstanding Canadian military histories and in recent years, the growing number of podcasts and webinars devoted to Canadian military history is astounding. In universities across Canada, Canadian military history, once virtually ignored, has enjoyed new life with exceptional programs offered across the country for the past few decades. A new generation of historians are now reexamining Canada’s wars with a newfound energy. All these indicators are hopeful and may bode well for the future – Canadians appear interested. But remembrance is more than an academic pursuit. Knowing our history is critical, but for remembrance to remain vital and meaningful, for our bond to Private Bouchard and all those who never came home, or came home never the same, it requires more than information. Remembrance must also come from the heart. I am encouraged by the strong attendance at yearly Remembrance Day ceremonies, especially the strong presence of young families. It does appear, that while the number of veterans decrease with each passing year, more and more citizens come out to remember. It must also be said that too many more Canadians are doing anything but remembering on 11 November. On the day, shopping malls are full of people chasing down those “Remembrance Day Sales.” I have heard of people who choose to work on Remembrance Day so they can get an extra day off at some other more Crowds gather at the 100th anniversary of the battle of Vimy Ridge.
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