This page was exported from Shelburne Free Press [ https://shelburnefreepress.ca ] Export date:Tue Jul 23 6:15:08 2024 / +0000 GMT ___________________________________________________ Title: Remembrance Day in Shelburne, 2013 --------------------------------------------------- What began as a very emotional gathering at the Royal Canadian Legion 220 Branch where Veterans, President of the Royal Canadian Legion 220 Branch, Liz Whitten, Rev. Gord  Horsley (Legion Padre), Mayor Ed Crewson, MPP Sylvia Jones, Reverend Stephanie Pellow, Shannon Taggart, MP representative for David Tilson, the Shelburne Fire Department, Shelburne Police Department, Shelburne Girl Guides, the Shelburne Air Cadets 164 Branch, and many Shelburne residents met to remember our fallen heroes to the reading of prayers, the beautiful music of Murray Irwin, the harmonious singing of Joan Wallace, and decorated Veteran David Barr's recitation of the famous poem, In Flanders Fields. The mood was somber, the weather cold, wet, and blustery was exactly appropriate for the occasion and the sound of the bag pipes and haunting echoing of the trumpet, along with the Color Party leading the slow march to the city's Cenotaph was an appropriate walk on this Remembrance Day 2013, honoring those who gave their lives. One might imagine our lost heroes walking through similar weather in their time, cold, weather beaten, hungry, exhausted, in every step knowing they had already lost friends, fellow soldiers, and still from somewhere within their souls, finding strength to persevere for us, safe in our lives, warm in our beds, full bellied, and far from the thunderous sounds of war. It was the way of life and loved ones they fought for. It was for generations after them to be able to build their lives, have families, live lives filled with choices in a country where they could look to the heavens and know they were free. The cost was high, the fight was hard and losing their lives didn't mean they lost the fight, it meant they ‘gave' their lives for ours to be spared – the ultimate sacrifice. And as the crowds gathered to lay wreaths, mount poppies, the overwhelming sentiment was clear and shared by all- we are grateful. We are grateful to strangers we cannot know, for they are gone. We are thankful in ways deeper than grief's sorrow allowing the heart to survive as we remember loved ones, for they are gone. We make an oath unto ourselves, to never forget to remember, promising ‘gone' will never mean forgotten. For in the eyes of the younger generations lies a history, a bond, the reason for all the sacrifice, all the suffering and the torch does get passed along just as the poppies in Flanders Fields awake each spring after a long winter's sleep, and the wind will whisper promise, there are more brave souls to come. A deep sense of pride and gratitude resounded among those gathered under a darkened sky without sun, in the eerie, penetrating cold, defiant in the wind, old and young alike, standing tall and true for our fallen heroes this Remembrance Day in Shelburne, Ontario, 2013. By Alex Sher   --------------------------------------------------- Images: --------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------- Post date: 2013-11-14 18:32:52 Post date GMT: 2013-11-14 23:32:52 Post modified date: 2013-11-21 09:04:15 Post modified date GMT: 2013-11-21 14:04:15 ____________________________________________________________________________________________ Export of Post and Page as text file has been powered by [ Universal Post Manager ] plugin from www.gconverters.com