Special thanks to MWO Tim Relihan for his beautiful, heart-felt work above.
Lest We Forget
A Pittance of Time - click on the poppy to view
a wonderful song by Terry Kelly - 
to remind us all of those who paid the ultimate sacrifice
Soldier
- Canada Remembered by Shawn Hlookoff - click on the poppy to view
this very moving tribute song.
Why Wear A Poppy
"Please wear a poppy", the lady said
And held one forth, but I shook my head.
Then I stopped and watched as she offered them there,
And her face was old and lined with care;
But beneath the scars the years had made
There remained a smile that refused to fade.
A boy came whistling down the street
Bouncing along on care-free feet
His smile was full of joy and fun,
"Lady", said he, "May I have one?"
When she's pinned it on he turned to say,
"Why do we wear a poppy today?"
The lady smiled in her wistful way
And answered, "This is Remembrance Day,
And the poppy there is the symbol for
The gallant men and women who died in war,
And because they did, you and I are free -
That's why we wear a poppy, you see".
"I had a boy about your size,
With golden hair and big blue eyes,
He loved to play and jump and shout,
Free as a bird he would race about.
As the years went by he learned and grew
And became a man - as you will, too."
:He was fine and strong, with a boyish smile,
But he'd seemed with us such a little while
When war broke out and he went away.
I still remember his face that day
When he smiled at me and said "Good-bye,
I'll soon be back, Mom, so please don't cry".
"But the war went on and he had to stay,
And all I could do was wait and pray.
His letters told of the awful fight,
(I can see it still in my dreams at night),
With the tanks and guns and cruel barbed wire,
And the mines and bullets, the bombs and fire".
"Till at last, the war was won -
And that's why we wear a poppy, son".
The small boy turned as if to go,
Then said "Thanks, lady, I'm glad to know.
That sure did sound like an awful fight,
But your son - did he come back all right?
A tear rolled down each faded cheek;
She shook her head, but didn't speak
I slunk away in a sort of shame,
And if you were me, you'd have done the same;
For our thanks, in giving, is oft delayed,
Though our freedom was bought - and thousands paid.
And so when we see a poppy worn,
Let us reflect on the burden borne
By those who gave their very all
And asked to answer their country's call
That we at home in peace might live.
Then wear a poppy, Remember - and Give!
Lest we forget....
Author Unknown
As we prepare to gather to acknowledge another Remembrance Day
and the many Canadians who lost their lives in the defense of Canada
and our way of life, let us also acknowledge the many military families
who are dealing with the serious after-affects of these military tours.
Let us also take some time to acknowledge Veterans wives who
sacrificed so much - and continue to do so. No matter what country
our partners serve, military wives are universal. We all go through
the same emotions in this lifestyle.
Let us also take time to pause
and reflect on the quality of our lives. We don't owe it to the politicians,
we owe it to our veterans and military families.
The following poem was written by 12 year old Caitlyn Ternapolski in memory of her
father, MCpl John Ternapolski, Jr who was killed in Bosnia-Herzegovina in 1993
when she was only 7 months old. I was so moved by her poem and the truth
it contained that I wanted to share her words with all of you.
As a result of reading her poem, this page, Lest We Forget,
will remain on my site year round because we really do need to remember.
The wisdom Caitlyn shows in her words is far beyond her years and I hope
that each of you reading this page will absorb what she has to say.
Why Only One Day?
Why should we only have one day to remember,
when the soldiers that died should be remembered forever.
Lots of people risked their lives, husbands, brothers and even some wives.
Remembrance Day is full of sorrow and weeping lots of them
died sergeants and some peacekeeping.
My father died eleven years ago, my whole life without him
is full of tears and sorrow.
Remembrance Day brings tears to my eyes, It's so hard to see
people say their final goodbyes.
We shouldn't just remember the ones up above, but those in Iraq
who have families back home they love.
We remember those in Bosnia and Afghanistan too, they are risking
their lives for me and for you.
For all of you who have family away, bow down on your knees and pray.
The men and women that died for world peace, were there
in hopes of someday war would cease.
Whether the soldiers are on their front lines or in tanks,
Remembrance Day is our way of saying thanks.
So when you see a Veteran of war, just remember what they stood for.
So wear your poppy and wear it with pride, to remember the thousands of soldiers who died.
The poppy is a symbol of respect, when you see one, Lest We Forget.
When Oh Canada we sing, thinking of what tomorrow will bring.
Hoping for all wars to end, then no more men and women we will have to send.
Even though we are miles apart,
I will always have a place for the soldiers in my heart.
Caitlyn Ternapolski
Pembroke, ON
Veterans
by Kimberley Ann Wolter
They are men and women, young girls and boys
Some barely finished playing with toys
As casualties in Europe continued to mount
They still came in numbers too large to count.
They came from the cities, then came from the farms
From their families and friends, from dear mothers' arms
As the tears stained the cheeks of each loved one's eyes
They marched off to war and waved their goodbyes
Words can't define the Hell they learned there
For many, a sadness too great to bear
Some returned home, ever changed by their plight
But, far too many gave all to the fight
Why did they make such a great sacrifice?
Why take the chance to lay down one's life?
For fame, for adventure, for country or crown?
No, for freedom, for you they laid their lives down.
So remember these heroes and heroines today
For they once were young girls and young boys at play
Remember they proudly each chose their part
Remember with love and respect in your heart.
Kimberley Ann is the wife of 1CPF Flt Comd Maj Mike Wolter.
William Holt, Kimberley Ann's father was a Navy man and did convoy escort
duty and coastal patrol.
Her mother, Isabel Hold was a Corporal in the RCAF and was a clerk at various stations
including Jarvis and Rockcliffe.
Pride and Freedom
She lays in her bed, pretending to be asleep, waiting for her father to
come home.
Waiting for the sound of heavy combat boots to come upstairs.
He comes in and kisses her good night, careful not to wake her up.
She can now go to sleep, because she knows that her world is safe.
Everyday she watches him walk out that door with his uniform on.
Understanding that one day he may not come home.
She understands this because her father taught her from an early age
that its because he wears this uniform that the world is safe.
She takes pride in knowing that her father is protecting her freedom and the freedom of others.
She may not like it when he leaves, but she lives with it.
She knows that she can't control his fate.
Once he puts on that uniform she knows that God will protect him.
This child is different, because her father is a soldier.
She carries his rucksack, she knew the proper way to salute by the age of five.
She can look at a uniform and tell you what rank the person is.
She has more responsibilities than any other kid her age.
She was not given these responsibilities.
She takes them on to help her mother when her father is gone.
She may not like war, but she accepts it because she understands that war means protecting freedom.
She also knows that her father is proud to protect freedom and that gives her comfort.
When her father died wearing his uniform, she felt great sorrow.
But not because she lost him, but because the world lost a hero,
a soldier that loved his country and his countrymen.
She still lays in bed waiting for the sound of those heavy combat boots.
But in her mind she can still hear them coming up the stairs,
giving her peace because she knows that her world is safe
because her father gave his life for her freedom and the freedom of others.
Tanya L. Heckler, Kentucky
A proud Ranger's daughter
A SOLDIER'S LEGACY by Charles E Province
It is the soldier, not the reporter, who has given us freedom of press.
It is the soldier, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech.
It is the soldier, not the objector, who has given us the freedom to demonstrate.
It is the soldier, not the lawyer, who has given us the freedom of fair trial.
It is the soldier, who salutes the flag, who serves under the flag,
who's coffin is draped with the flag,
who gives freedom to the protestor who burns the flag;
This is a soldier, lest we forget.....
