National Commemorative Ceremony Marking The End of an Era

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National Commemorative Ceremony Marking The End of an Era

Ottawa, Friday, April 9, 2010

The freedom we enjoy in Canada, our country, came at a very high cost.

Unfortunately, freedom is not shared by most people on the planet and is still fragile today.

At the turn of the last century, men and women were called to defend this freedom and paid dearly for their sacrifice.

John Babcock was the last Canadian soldier who could tell us about that war, the First World War.

It was a war known for its killing fields.

It was a brutal and perilous war fought in the trenches, one in which an entire generation of young people courageously braved gunfire and cannons, often at great peril to their lives.

After surviving one of the bloodiest centuries in history and setting a remarkable record for longevity, John Babcock died at the venerable age of 109.

Neither he nor anyone else is left to talk about it, but their spirit lives on in the memories of all of us honouring them today.

I believe a ceremony like this has no meaning unless we who survive—and unless future generations—recognize that the memory of these men and women whose heroic acts determined the fate of all of humanity, including our own, is extremely precious.

Precious because memory lasts much longer than we do, longer than stone monuments.

Precious also because of the wisdom we draw from it, wisdom that lights the path before us, towards a world that is increasingly peaceful.

While it is important that we acknowledge the magnitude of the contribution made by our veterans, it is just as important to recognize that of the men and women who, still today, go to trouble spots around the world to free entire populations from the yoke of tyranny.

The heritage left by the men and women who fought for greater justice, for greater freedom, for greater humanity, must stand the test of time.

It is our greatest responsibility.

To those who came before us, and to those who follow.

We must never forget.