Today is Remembrance Day. We must never forget or repeat the mistakes of the past.
Remembrance Day is meaningful to me as my family has a bit of a military history. My great grandfather on my father’s side was a combat veteran in World War 1. He lost his eye in combat just before the battle of Vimy Ridge. If he had not been injured, it is very possible he could have been killed in that terrible battle.
My grandfather was a drummer who entertained troops overseas in World War 2. That’s where he met my grandmother, who at the time was a seamstress sewing uniforms for Canadian soldiers.
My father joined the Canadian forces at age 16 to get away from a difficult home situation. His military service allowed him to complete high school and paid for his university education. He served as an Air Traffic Controller, and retired from the military after 27 years and has been doing the same job as a civilian ever since.
I am the first person in this lineage with no military connection at all. I am proud of the service that my father, grandfather, grandmother, and great grandfather provided. However I am more proud of the fact that in my lifetime there has never been a situation where I have needed to join any military service myself. I hope to never see a day like that, especially in my home country of Canada or my second home in Japan.
Drinking in Japan 