Remebrance Day-Part 1

Sgt. Maxine McKellar retired after a 25 year career in Air Force.

     Remembrance Day is always a challenge to cover for the newspaper. The solemn act of remembrance does not pair well with the activity of trying to be everywhere and photograph everything at once. But proper coverage both in story and picture are integral parts of the day. If no record exists how can we remember as memories fade and veterans pass?

     The act of remembrance isn't passive and it isn't meant to last just the one day.

The Act of Remembrance

"They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.
We will remember them."

     It may have been because I haven't covered a Remembrance Day Ceremony in a while but I was acutely aware that people may have been viewing my work to record the story of Remembrance as more of a distraction from the act then as an means to honour it.

     It wasn't until after the ceremony that I realized that people do understand the importance of recording the ceremony.

     I was thanked by so many people for my preview coverage of Remembrance Day that I started to feel uncomfortable. I am not a veteran. I have done nothing worthy of thanks on this day. I was thanked by veterans people I should be thanking, and did.

     The final affirmation came when I sat down for coffee with a veteran from England, David Hale. This senior gentleman who spent 18 years in the SAS was delighted to see my pictures of him and was unable to contain his excitement at being able to share our ceremony with his buddies in the legion back home.

     In pictures, "They shall not grow old".

     We will remember them.

Retired Cpl. David Hale. He served 18 years with the 22 SAS Regiment

Works Cited

"The Act of Remembrance" The Royal Canadian Legion, 2016, http://www.legion.ca/honour-remember/remembrance-day-ceremony/ Accessed Nov. 2016