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A day to remember

This Friday, Nov. 11, all Canadians should observe a minute of silence at 11 a.m. to pay respect to those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.

This Friday, Nov. 11, all Canadians should observe a minute of silence at 11 a.m. to pay respect to those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.

Even though Canada’s last major conflict ended five years ago when combat operations officially ceased in Afghanistan, Canadian soldiers are currently in harm’s way in Iraq as part of the combat mission against the terrorist group Daesh/ISIL/ISIS.

Beyond that, our soldiers risk their lives daily — from delivering critical aide to hurricane survivors in Haiti, to clearing land mines in former war zones. And with ongoing terror threats and constant unrest throughout the Middle East, our soldiers know that a combat mission can happen at any time.

These brave men and women put their lives at risk for our security and for that they deserve, at the very least, our sincere gratitude.

That’s why you should wear a poppy.

And that’s why you should attend one of the local Remembrance Day ceremonies that will be held this coming week — for more see Pages 12-14 of this week’s News.

For most, especially the younger generations born after the end of the Cold War, it’s hard to imagine a time when we stood a real chance of losing our freedom.

But that’s what was at stake during the Second World War — Adolf Hitler was bent on global domination and the extermination of the Jewish people. He was a madman that nearly plunged humanity into a dark age.

Ultimately it took the combined efforts of the free world to end his reign of terror — tens of millions of soldiers and civilians paid the ultimate price in humanity’s bloodiest conflict.

There are few left who remember those dark days first hand.

Second World War veterans Tom McConaghy, 92, and 91-year-old Sandy Latimer are but two and were at pre-Remembrance Day events held last week. Another was Ernest Wood, who passed away at the end of October.

If you see them at Friday’s ceremony, stop and say ‘thank you.’ They are a part of the greatest generation and made the ultimate sacrifice.

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