WAR YEARS: MOTES & QUOTES
I
November 1999 Edition
Compiled by Bill Hillman
Wherein we share an eclectic
assortment of items
- whacky and wise -
gleaned from the
Internet, media and contributing
readers.
|
Please send your ideas and
contributions to the
Webmaster:
Bill Hillman
Remembrance
Day Open House at the
Commonwealth
Air Training Plan Museum
Brandon Municipal Airport
On November 11, 1999, we held
our annual open house.
Two one-hour slide presentations
entitled “Freedom is not Free”
were presented by Stuart Johnson,
a Museum volunteer from Winnipeg.
The slides showed the horrors
of war and cemeteries of the
Armed Forces in England, France,
Belgium, Holland and Germany
and how well they are maintained.
The presentations paid tribute
to those Canadians
who gave us the freedom we enjoy
today.
Both showings played to overflow
crowds.
Everyone at CATP Museum wishes
to thank the
WestMan area for their tremendous
support
and for helping to make this
event such a success.
Click
here to view photos taken at the Open House
Some of the highlights of
Stuart's presentation are featured at:
Freedom
is Not Free ~ Pt. 1
Freedom
is Not Free ~ Pt. 2
For more Remembrance Day tributes
please visit our
War
Years: Motes & Quotes - November website
A LiteSide Entry
November 26:
The New Voice Mail at National Defence HQ
Thank you for calling the Canadian Forces. We are sorry,
but all our units are out at the moment, or are otherwise engaged.
Please press '1' to leave a message, with your country,
name of organization, region, details of the specific crisis, and a number
where we can reach you. As soon as we have sorted out Indonesia,
the Balkans, Iraq, marauding Chinese refugees, the Combat bra, the
Millennium Bug, marching up and down the streets of Toronto with snow shovels,
and compulsory Diversity Training, we will return your call.
Please speak after the tone. For other services, please
listen to the following options:
If your crisis is small and close to the sea, press '2'
for the Canadian Navy.
If your concern is distant, with a tropical climate and
good hotels, and can be solved by one or two low risk bombing runs, please
press '3' for the Canadian Air Force. Please note that this service is
not available after 1630 hours or on weekends.
If your enquiry concerns a situation which can be resolved
by a bit of rifle drill, a colour party and a really good marching band,
please write, well in advance, to The Commanding Officer, The Ceremonial
Guard, Ottawa Ontario.
If your enquiry is not urgent, please press '4' for the
2 Canadian Mobile Brigade Group's Quick Reaction Force.
Only if you are in real, hot trouble, then press '5' and
your call will be routed to The Royal Canadian Sea Cadets.
If you are interested in joining the Army, and wish to
be shouted at, paid little, have premature arthritis, put your life partner
and family in a condemned hut miles from civilization, and are prepared
to work your butt off daily, risking your life in all weathers and terrain,
both day and night, whilst watching the Treasury Board eroding your original
terms and conditions of service, then please stay on the line. Your call
will shortly be taken by a bitter passed-over Recruiting Sergeant in a
strip mall somewhere in Newfoundland.
Have a pleasant day, and thank you again for trying to
contact the Canadian Forces.
Anonymous (hopefully)
November 24
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) - With Mickey Mouse at his
side, Bob Hope lit up Disneyland with Christmas decorations. The 96-year-old
entertainer took a swing with a golf club and the lights came on Monday.
He and his wife, Dolores, were guests of the park. Before the ceremony,
Hope was thanked by veterans for his longtime tradition of entertaining
U.S. troops overseas.
Read the entire script of
Bomber Command: Death by Moonlight
from the controversial CBC series
The Valour and the Horror
Included here for research purposes.
We would like to hear your opinions on this show
and
the other episodes in the series.
Please
send your comments here
Click
Here
Try the Courageous Canadians Quiz at:
http://www.vac-acc.gc.ca/general/sub.cfm?source=feature/week99/quiz
in the Veterans Affairs Canada site:
http://www.vac-acc.gc.ca
Mynarski Lancaster
FM213
One of Two Lancasters Still
Flying
Canadian Warplane Heritage
~ "Canada's Flying Museum"
~ Hamilton Airport ~ 9280
Airport Road ~
~ Mount Hope, Ontario, Canada
L0R 1W0 ~
~ Telephone: (905) 679-4183
Fax: (905) 679-4186 ~
John Gillespie Magee Jr.
~ Author of the poem: HIGH
FLIGHT ~
Died December 11, 1941
When the Battle of Britain was being fought in the hot
summer of 1940, John was still a freshman at Yale. He was born in China,
of an American clergyman father and an English mother. He came to England
at age nine, attended the famous Rugby School, following in the footsteps
of the great war poet Rupert Brooke, whose work he much admired. While
at Yale Magee decided to give up his studies to join the RCAF in the hope
of getting into the fighting in Europe, though war monger he certainly
wasn't. "An aeroplane," he wrote home during his basic flying training
in Canada, "is not to us a weapon of war, but a flash of silver slanting
the skies; the hum of a deep voiced motor; a feeling of dizziness; it is
speed and ecstacy."
Magee gained his wings in June 1941 and shipped out to
Wales to complete his advanced training-- "Patches of brilliance, tendency
to overconfidence" noted his instructor-- before joining 412 Squadron,
RCAF, at RAF Wellingore, Lincolnshire, that fall. So exited was the 19-year-old
about his first flights in a Spitfire that he jotted his feelings on the
back of an envelope, and sent it to his parents with the note: "It started
at 30,000 feet, and was finished soon after I landed. I thought it might
interest you." The scribbled poem was "High Flight."
A few weeks later Magee was dead, killed not in the whirl
of combat but in a midair collision with a trainer on a misty winter's
day. A farmer saw his disintegrating Spitfire fall, and watched Magee struggling
to bail out. His parachute failed to open.
Remembrance Sites Recommended
by Sympatico
Over 40 Links
NOTE:
Some of these sites recommended
by
Canada's largest Internet provider
are controversial choices.
We would like to hear your opinions
on Sympatico's choices.
Please
send your comments here
Six Books of Remembrance
Each book acts as a tribute to and a record of the names of the all Canadians
who fought and lost their lives in each of the six wars. Click on each
for a
complete listing of all our Canadian war dead, and discover the complete
history of the books.
Our
History, Our Culture, Our Heroes
Brought to you by CanadaFirst.net, this site offers a brief overview of
the
significance of Remembrance Day.
Canadian
War Museum
Affiliated with the famed Canadian Museum of Civilization, the Canadian
War
Museum's purpose is dedicated to both education and Remembrance.
War Monuments in Canada
Canadian War Monuments are a poignant reminder of the price Canadians
have been willing to pay to preserve our democracy, and this site allows
you
to research a wide variety of war monuments in every province in Canada.
Royal Canadian Legion
Canada's largest organization for veterans and ex-service persons, with
more
than 500,000 members and more than 1,600 branches in Canada. Valuable
resources on Remembrance Day for teachers and students can be found
here.
War Amps of Canada
Learn all about the many innovative programs and services the War Amps
of
Canada provides to amputees, their families and all Canadians.
Canada's
Peacekeeping Heritage
The Canadian Forces have for years participated in the United Nations'
peacekeeping missions. Come view the Canadian Peacekeepers Roll
of Honour,
which commemorates the members of the Canadian Armed Forces
who have given their lives in the service of Peace.
Canadian Air Aces
and Heroes
This site offers detailed listings and biographies of the heroes of both
World
Wars in addition to the Korean War.
World War I Remembered
Links to Recommended Websites
Great Canadian War
Homepage
Part of the Canadian Military Heritage Project, this is an amazingly detailed
and informative site.
The Great
War
Believed to be the War to end all wars, World War I at one time was called
the Great War, and raged throughout Europe from 1914 to 1918.
Valour
Remembered
A detailed and well-organized account of Canada and the First World War,
from the experiences on the Western Front to action behind the lines.
A
Brief History of World War I
This site presents the War from a variety of perspectives, including a
chronological timeline, battles abroad, air and naval battle, and Canada's
role
in World War I, amongst others.
Canada's
Participation in World War I
Some preliminary background events to Canada's involvement in the First
World War are presented.
Canadian Veterans
Recollect
A tribute to the courageous veterans who fought for Canada in the first
World
War.
For Valour
Supplementary to Canadian
Veterans Recollect, this site provides more
information on aviation, artillery, infantry and life in the trenches.
Jack Turner's War
An extraordinary
man who captured the horror and the heroism of World War I
with his amazing photographs. This site includes 200
thumbnail photographic
images and an interview
with the man himself.
Native
Soldiers, Foreign Battlefields
A perspective of the war rarely seen, Veterans Affairs Canada presents
the
role of aboriginal Canadians in World War I.
Canadian
Red Cross
The role of the Red Cross in World War I.
Canadian War
Museum Tour
A gallery tour of the Canadian War Museum, focusing on the first World
War.
Canadian
War Medals
A listing of Canadian war medals between the years of 1866 and 1918.
In Flanders
Fields
By Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae, this poem poignantly depicts the
experience of World War I.
Biography
of Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae
Veterans Affairs Canada presents a biographical profile of doctor, teacher,
and author of In Flanders Fields.
War
Artists of World War I
Brief biographies of six Canadian Official War Artists from the First World
War.
Popular
English Songs of World War I
Sing along to the tunes that were popular during this period - the lyrics
are
provided for you, and the sound clips require RealAudio.
Military
Glossary of Terms
An alphabetized glossary of military terms to facilitate your research.
World War II Remembered
Links to Recommended Websites
Valour
Remembered
A beautifully detailed presentation of the events of World War II.
Brief
History of World War II
A timeline and chronology of the Second World War, and the aftermath of
victory.
Canadian
Participation in World War II
Including On the Homefront, Faces and Places, and Ceasefire.
Uncommon
Courage
A fascinating account of Canadian secret agents in the Second World War.
Canadian Air Aces and
Heroes
Heroes of the Second World War.
Canadian War
Museum Tour
A tour of the Canadian War Museum, starting with the rise of Nazi Germany
in the 1930s prior to World War II.
Canadian
War Medals
A listing of Canadian war medals between the years of 1939 and 1991.
Victory
Bonding
Wartime messages from the Canadian Government between the years of
1939 to 1945.
Native
Soldiers, Foreign Battlefields
Sacrifices and achievements of Canada's aboriginal soldiers are detailed.
Open
Your Hearts
The story of Canadian Jewish War Orphans, by Fraidie Martz.
Dutch
War Brides
Dedicated to the "Liberation Children" and their mothers, who had to stay
behind in Holland.
War Artists of World War II
Seventeen Canadian Official War Artists of the Second World War are profiled
here.
November 11, 1999
PORT EVERGLADES, Fla. (AP) - The Navy invited
Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks aboard the USS Normandy Thursday (November
11) to bestow its highest civilian honor for their work on "Saving Private
Ryan." The film about World War II "dramatically increased the American
public's awareness and appreciation of the sacrifices made by U.S. veterans
during the Battle of Normandy," the Navy said in a statement. The Normandy
ship was named for the bloody battle in which allied forces landed in France
to began advancing on Germany. The landing at Normandy is the movie's opening
scene. "That invasion saved the world. If you saw 'Private Ryan,' you know
how many people paid the price," Navy Undersecretary Jerry Hultin said
before he presented the director and actor the Distinguished Public Service
Award.
Hultin said the public too often forgets its war veterans.
"I think it's become almost an unfortunate tradition in this country -
to recruit them, put them to war, work them hard and then, when they come
home, to sort of say, 'Well, it's over,'" he said. "Saving Private Ryan,"
a graphic re-enactment of the Allies' invasion of Europe on D-Day - June
6, 1944 - won five Academy Awards, including one for Spielberg's direction.
WHAT IS A VET?
(Anonymous - gleaned from
the Web - November 11, 1999)
Some veterans bear visible signs of their service: a missing
limb, a jagged scar, a certain look in the eye. Others may carry
the evidence inside them: a pin holding a bone together, a piece of shrapnel
in the leg -- or perhaps another sort of inner steel:
The soul's ally forged in the refinery of adversity.
Except in parades, however, the men and women who have kept America
safe wear no badge or emblem. You can't tell a vet just by looking.
What is a vet?
He is the cop on the beat who spent six months in Saudi
Arabia sweating two gallons a day making sure the armored personnel carriers
didn't run out of fuel.
He is the barroom loudmouth, dumber than five wooden planks,
whose overgrown frat-boy behavior is outweighed a hundred times in the
cosmic scales by four hours of exquisite bravery near the 38th parallel.
She - or he - is the nurse who fought against futility
and went to sleep sobbing every night for two solid years in Da Nang.
He is the POW who went away one person and came back another
- or didn't come back AT ALL.
He is the Quantico drill instructor who has never seen
combat -but has saved countless lives by turning slouchy, no-account rednecks
and gang members into Marines, and teaching them to watch each other's
backs.
He is the parade - riding Legionnaire who pins on his
ribbons and medals With a prosthetic hand.
He is the career quartermaster who watches the ribbons
and medals pass him by.
He is the three anonymous heroes in The Tomb Of The Unknowns,
whose Presence at the Arlington National Cemetery must forever preserve
the memory of all the anonymous heroes whose valor dies unrecognized with
them on the battlefield or in the ocean's sunless deep.
He is the old guy bagging groceries at the supermarket
- palsied now and aggravatingly slow - who helped liberate a Nazi death
camp and who wishes all day long that his wife were still alive to hold
him when the nightmares come.
He is an ordinary and yet an extraordinary human being
- a person who offered some of his life's most vital years in the service
of his country, and who sacrificed his ambitions so others would not have
to sacrifice theirs.
He is a soldier and a savior and a sword against the darkness,
and he is nothing more than the finest, greatest testimony on behalf of
the finest, greatest nation ever known.
So remember, each time you see someone who has served
our country, just lean over and say Thank You. That's all most people
need, and in most cases it will mean more than any medals they could have
been awarded or were awarded.
Two little words that mean a lot, "THANK YOU." Remember
November 11th is Veterans Day
LEST WE FORGET
PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT
Dated: October 5, 1999
Remembrance Day Open House at the Commonwealth Air Training
Plan Museum
Where: Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum ~
Brandon Municipal Airport
When: November, Thursday 11, 1:00 p.m. to
4:00 p.m.
Why: Remembrance Day
What: The Museum will be having an open
house from 1p.m. to 4p.m., admission is free. Two, one-hour slide presentations
entitled “ Freedom is not Free” will take place at 1:00 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.
Presented by Stuart Johnson, a Museum volunteer from Winnipeg. There
will be no charge for the presentations, but donations are welcome to the
Museum. The slides show the horrors of war and cemeteries of the
Armed Forces in England, France, Belgium, Holland and Germany and how well
they are maintained. This presentation pays tribute to those Canadians
who gave us the freedom we enjoy today.
General Museum Information:
Museum’s Mission: to commemorate the British Commonwealth
Air Training Plan by
telling its story, preserving its artifacts, and paying
tribute to the more than 18,000 R.C.A.F. personnel, who gave their lives
during WWII.
We have now switched to our winter hours: October
1 to May 1 - 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Admission: $3.50 Adults, $2.00 Students, Under six years
old - free.
For more information call: Stephen Hayter, Executive Director
Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum
Telephone (204) 727-2444; fax (204) 725-2334
It Ain't Pretty...
It's covered both inside and out with bird droppings.
It's missing almost everything but its general outline. It's in several
pieces.
But it's finally arrived!
Avro Lancaster Mark X, FM104, is now resting at the Toronto
Aerospace Museum after a late night haul from its former home on the waterfront.
The restoration will be long and arduous, and will no doubt involve a lot
of tears, blood, sweat, swearing, and beer. Congratulations to Director
Natalie MacHaffie and all the volunteers from near and far who worked so
hard to get the job done.
Periodic updates on the progress of the 'Lanc', and other
projects, will be sent to interested parties (at least those who I assume
would be interested) courtesy of myself, David
Bailey, unofficial museum e-mailer. (Is there such a thing?) We don't
have a website at the moment, but feel free to send any questions or rants
to me.
