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The Huron Expositor, 1998-11-04, Page 12'11—T1411 HURON EXPOSITOR, NOMMEN 4, /sofa They Fought For Our Freedom 0 IY Your Insurance Broker Understands SEAFORTH INSURANCE BROKER LTD. Main St., Seaforth 527-1610 Saluting those who gave all Janet's Country Donut Cafe 527-2551 A moment to remember those who gave their lives Stedmans DepartmentiStore Main St., Seaforth 52/-1950 TREMEER COMMERCIAL PRINTERS and OFFICE SUPPLY Seaforth 527-1640 Remembering those sacrificed for us. Poppy bloomed over graves of soldiers in Napoleonic Wars Poppy Facts. During the Napoleonic Wars, the poppy drew attention as the mysterious flower that bloomed over the graves of fallen soldiers. In the 20th century, the poppy again was widely noticed after soils in France and Belgium became rich in lime from rubble during the First World War. The little red flowers flourished around the graves of the war dead as they had 100 years earlier. In 1915, Guelph, Ontario native John McCrae, a doctor serving with the Canadian Forces Artillery, recorded this phenomenon in his famous poem In Flanders Fields. Two days before the Armistice, Moina Michael. an American woman from Athens, Georgia, read the McCrae poem and was inspired to wear a poppy year-round in memory of the war dead. In 1920, Madame E. Guerin of France visited the United States and happened to meet Miss Michael at the YMCA at Columbia University. where the latter was a volunteer. Mme. Guerin then resolved to sell handmade popple, around .Armistice Dai to raise Mone. tot poor children in the war-torn. arra. of Europe. In 1921. I veld-\lar.hall Earl Haig. the. former Contmandet -nt-Chief of the British Annie, to prance and Belgium and the principal founder of the British Legion, was sold on Mme. Guerin's fundraising idea and approved organization of the British Poppy Day Appeal by the Legion to raise money for poor and disabled veterans. The same year. Mme. Guerin visited Canada, and convinced the Great War Veterans Association (predecessor to the Royal Canadian Legion) to similarly adopt the poppy as a symbol of remembrance in aid of fundraising. Today. the Poppy Campaign is' one of the Royal Canadian Legion's most important programs. The money raised from poppy sales provides direct assistance for ex -service people in financial distress. as well as funding for medical appliances and research. home services. care facilities. and numerous other purposes. Canada entered WWI in 1914 Facts on ,Canada's involvement in the First World War Canada entered•the war in 1914. Almost 620,000 Canadian men and women served in the First World War at a time when the population of the country was only a few million. Of these, more than 66.000 were killed. At the Battle of the Somme the British Forces suffered their heaviest one - day loss eve', more than 57.00(1 men. More than 700 men from the New 1oundlatnd rr;•intent were killed ur muffed during this battle. • Four Canadians w ere awarded the Victoria Cross. the Comtttonskralth's highest award 101 hravern, for their part in the taking of Vimy Ridge. .Canadian John McCrac wrote the poem "In Flanders Fields" while on the battlefield. • During the course of the war. Canada's. naval service gree from 350 men and two .hips to a force of 9.000 men and 100 ships. 58,000 volunteered for Wil by September, 1939 Facts on Canada's involvement in the Second World War. By September 1939. over 58.000 Canadian men and women had volunteered to serve in the Canadian Forces. Canadian soldiers formed the main assault force for the raid on Dieppe. where over 900 Canadians were killed ;rod al more were take :\pproxima1 Canadian. Normandy on f The 1st Cats was tn.trumc liberation 0t May 19.51 Over one Canadian. se Second Worl approxintatel� 1110.1 2.0(1(1 •n prisoner. rl� 14.000 landed at )-day adlan •\rnty •ntal in the Holland in million reed in the d \\ al and 45.000 Dave • their lives. Canada's navy was the third largest in the allied forces. and its air force was the fourth largest. B‘ the end of the Second World War. Canada's navy with more than 113.000 personnel, included over 7.000 women. It takes just a moment to remember A Moment To Remember A Lifetime Of Freedom Hildebrand Paint and Paper Main St. Seaforth 527-1880 A Moment's Silence for a Lifetime of Freedom Town of Seaforth MAYOR - David Scott They Gave Their All For Us. PETE'S PAPER CLIP 19 MAIN ST. SOUTH. SEAFORTH 527-1681 SEARS OUTLET - 527-1220 THE ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION UN ' • 111. s• 1 — Together We Remember — ANNUAL CHURCH PARADE will proceed to the St. Thomas Anglican Church for service at 9:30 a.m. on SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8th We encourage and appreciate the support of Legion members in carrying on the canvas WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11 PARADE and SERVICE MO AM • Parade to Cenotaph tram Lepton 11 Ao AM • Service d C/(rohph Following the service, the ' . will return to the Legion IMM The Support of the Public For These Annual Events Witl Be Appreciated SEAFORTH BRANCH 156 ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION JIM MacLEOD LINDA GRIDZAK Poppy Chairman 522.2065 President t