Remembering Dieppe

[Shec]

I know!  My question is how do we get this message out to the "unwashed public"?  How do we reach the kids in school?  Where does one start in trying to create a culture where what CF members do and sacrifice constitute real heroes and real models with the next generation?  How did the sports, movie, and entertainment world create itself as the monolith to mindlessly worship?

By giving them a  personal responsibility?  A buddy of mine gave his daughter, when she left on a student exchange to France,  a family photo to bury in the Dieppe beach where her grandfather landed with the Calgary Tanks and that sparked her interest in what happened that day.  Not all can go to Dieppe but students in the Dieppe regiments' home towns can be asked to plant and dedicate a memorial grove of  trees .

 

[IN HOC SIGNO]

Agreed. Education is the key. Until recently the teaching profession was not always "on-board" with military history, in my experience. I learned about Dieppe cause I did it for OPME...was never taught it in school or university...and from my Branch during training, of course, because of the VC won there.
How do kids or any of us know about celebrities and sports figures......it's beamed at them all the time....we need a plan to get the word out so that it's well known. I think most Canadians know about Vimy because of the recent books and focus on TV, radio and in the papers.

 

[rlh]

How do kids or any of us know about celebrities and sports figures......it's beamed at them all the time....we need a plan to get the word out so that it's well known.

And I totally agree there, but when suggesting doing this on some official basis, I have run into the brick wall that it's not the military's place to be an advocacy group.  (Perhaps it is felt that this is unprofessional?  Too politically dangerous?)

Nevertheless, if those who are a part of DND/CF don't stand up for themselves, them who is going to do it on our behalf?  No one!  We need to get our history out there -- both on the distant past and on recent events and issues as well.  How can an uninformed public give the government informed guidance on what policy the government should be pursuing in representing the wishes of the people?

Anyway, just my reacton.  If an institution is unwilling to do the beaming, then it is up to concerned individuals to start organizing things and getting people on board for a great cause!

 

[IN HOC SIGNO]

And I totally agree there, but when suggesting doing this on some official basis, I have run into the brick wall that it's not the military's place to be an advocacy group.  (Perhaps it is felt that this is unprofessional?  Too politically dangerous?)

Nevertheless, if those who are a part of DND/CF don't stand up for themselves, them who is going to do it on our behalf?  No one!  We need to get our history out there -- both on the distant past and on recent events and issues as well.  How can an uninformed public give the government informed guidance on what policy the government should be pursuing in representing the wishes of the people?

Anyway, just my reacton.  If an institution is unwilling to do the beaming, then it is up to concerned individuals to start organizing things and getting people on board for a great cause!

Well the Royal Canadian legion do a good job. they go to schools and speak and sponsor kids public speaking and essay writing but they get little funding from VA. VA did a good job on year of the Veteran but now have slipped back to sleep if you ask me. Many of our older veterans are not well enough to do the public speaking circuit anymore. It would be nice to see some recent vets get involved in this work too.

 

[rlh]

I have fond memories of participating in the Legion's writing contests.  But my memories only remember people from the Second world War (and maybe Korea).  Is this institution evolving with the times?  How involved are recent vets in the Legion, or will the institution die away in a few short years?

 

[IN HOC SIGNO]

I have fond memories of participating in the Legion's writing contests.  But my memories only remember people from the Second world War (and maybe Korea).  Is this institution evolving with the times?  How involved are recent vets in the Legion, or will the institution die away in a few short years?

I was at a Legion dinner here in Cole Harbour (NS) a couple weeks ago. The President told me they have over 800 members on the books and they get good numbers out for a few events. a lot of folks pay their dues and don't come...maybe due to shut in problems. The dinner I was at was the UN Peacekeepers dinner on 09 August and was not really well attended by there were a fair number of "newer" vets i.e. retired CF in the last 5-10 years. The Oromocto Legion seemed to have a lot of younger members when I was in Gagetown 01-05 too.

 

[rlh]

Is there a "rule" -- written or unwritten -- that one must be retired before becoming associated with the Legion?  What about people who are still serving members and still going on operational tours?  Are they involved, interested, welcome?

 

[George Wallace]

Is there a "rule" -- written or unwritten -- that one must be retired before becoming associated with the Legion?  What about people who are still serving members and still going on operational tours?  Are they involved, interested, welcome?

No.  Many Legions are actually getting very active in 'recruiting' serving members.  They are feeling the fiscal pinch of a membership that is literally dying off.

 

[IN HOC SIGNO]

No.  Many Legions are actually getting very active in 'recruiting' serving members.  They are feeling the fiscal pinch of a membership that is literally dying off.

Exactly....many legions are waking up to the fact that they have to start appealing to serving members and some are joining.

 

[rlh]

By giving them a  personal responsibility?  A buddy of mine gave his daughter, when she left on a student exchange to France,  a family photo to bury in the Dieppe beach where her grandfather landed with the Calgary Tanks and that sparked her interest in what happened that day.  Not all can go to Dieppe but students in the Dieppe regiments' home towns can be asked to plant and dedicate a memorial grove of  trees .

Perhaps I have spent too much time in the dusty archives and not enough time in bookstores, but I will ask this anyway.  Has anyone created (or thought of creating) a military history themed calendar?  Something that included special anniversaries, war photos, and war art?  It would make a great gift for any military history buff, and it would be an easy way to help the next generation remember special events in Canada's military history.  There could be air force, army, navy, or joint versions; such calendars could focus on specific conflicts (Pre-Confederation, First World War, Second World War, Korean Conflict, Peace Support Missions, etc), or it could emcompass all of Canada's history.  And the photographs could be selected to emphasize specific anniversaries. 

Just thinking aloud.

 

[daftandbarmy]

rlh,

It looks like a teacher named Dave Robinson has come up with one solution. He led about 5000 kids to Vimy for the 90th last April. Maybe we need more people like him to take the initiative to help teach our kids (You know, like people with PhDs in Canadian history who are interested in this stuff? hint, hint). By the way, that guy should get an Order of Canada or something for his efforts IMHO.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070405.wvimy05/BNStory/VimyRidge/home

Vimy Revisited

http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cacheNsgsF_RKKsJ:returntovimyridge.ca/news/OCTDecember2006.pdf+vimy%2Bschool%2Bpilgrimage&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=5&gl=ca

Every year history teachers strive to helpa nother crop of 15-year-olds understand the social and political circumstances that led young Canadians, not much older than themselves, into the so-called war to end all wars, in which over 66,000 were killed and 173,000 wounded “for God and Empire.” One solution is what Port Perry High School teacher Dave Robinson calls experiential education.

 

[rlh]

Maybe we need more people like him to take the initiative to help teach our kids (You know, like people with PhDs in Canadian history who are interested in this stuff? hint, hint).

Thanks for the links.  They are great stories.  I remember being really pleased at the news stories showing all school students who had made the trip to Vimy for the rededication of the memorial.  And kudos to all the teachers who took part in making that possible.

For a number of years while I was a full-time student at Carleton University, I took part in the Enrichment Mini-Course program by offering a course on Canada's Military Air Force History (it was called "Aces, Bush Pilots, and Combat Crews:  Turning Points in Canada's Military Aviation History").  I ran this course for four years.  It was a great experience -- and I got really good at giving tours at the Canada Aviation Musuem here in Ottawa.

What I would like to do is contact some schools and volunteer to give some talks on military history topics -- either in the class, in a speaker series, or at November 11 ceremonies.  The challenge is simply setting aside some time for this very important and worthwhile endeavour.  But this could be a way of networking and getting people interested in other initiatives to help students learn and be a part of commemorating important events in our military history.

 

[daftandbarmy]

Now you're talking. I wish we had the opportunity to attend events like that at my schools.

 

[IN HOC SIGNO]

Perhaps I have spent too much time in the dusty archives and not enough time in bookstores, but I will ask this anyway.  Has anyone created (or thought of creating) a military history themed calendar?  Something that included special anniversaries, war photos, and war art?  It would make a great gift for any military history buff, and it would be an easy way to help the next generation remember special events in Canada's military history.  There could be air force, army, navy, or joint versions; such calendars could focus on specific conflicts (Pre-Confederation, First World War, Second World War, Korean Conflict, Peace Support Missions, etc), or it could emcompass all of Canada's history.  And the photographs could be selected to emphasize specific anniversaries. 

Just thinking aloud.

Not a bad idea I think but in my experience as a communicater (of words and text) today there is a shift by young people away from print and hard copy to electronic medium. My kids and nices and nephews keep an electronic calendar on their cell phone or blackberry for the most part. There is also a lot of calendars out there from various sources....MFRC, PSP, DND official ones etc. I think your idea of getting into the schools etc is the best one. If these talks are accompanied by a Power point or slide show it is more effective, or take some cool artifacts along. This is a visual and tactile learning generation for the most part.

 

[rlh]

The five day course was awesome.  One day on the First World War, one on the inter-war period, one on the Second World War, and one on the Cold War.  The last day was the aviation museum tour and fact treasure hunt.  Activities included lectures (with pictures) articles to read, videos to watch, designing an aviation musuem, learning about basic aerodynamics, and a paper airplane making contest.

With approximately 20 teenagers -- 90% of them male -- it was a hoot!

 

[rlh]

take some cool artifacts along. This is a visual and tactile learning generation for the most part.

I have been collecting Second World War Royal Canadian Air Force uniforms, medals, training manuals, dishes, etc.  Also part of my mini-course was a show and tell session where I brought these items in.  The kids loved touching and holding and trying these things on.

 

[IN HOC SIGNO]

I have been collecting Second World War Royal Canadian Air Force uniforms, medals, training manuals, dishes, etc.  Also part of my mini-course was a show and tell session where I brought these items in.  The kids loved touching and holding and trying these things on.

Yes it's a great method. When I teach Religious ed I try to make it as visual as possible because it can get pretty dry if it's just dates, theories and philosophies.