This
is a history teacher’s dream
come true. I will cherish the look
on my students’ faces forever.
Every student was given a poppy and
a special year of veteran quarter to
leave at their own memorial secret
place either on the beach or at the
cemetery. Our students came well prepared
for the visit but unfortunately not
prepared emotionally. We will never
forget. Merci! Thank you to the men
and women who gave the ultimate sacrifice
so that we can enjoy our freedom, being
here, seeing, feeling, touching, smelling
makes it all real.
Maxime
Bédard (teacher)
Philemon Wright School
— Feburary
28, 2006
I
cannot begin to attempt to describe
the rush of emotions I felt this morning.
Before coming to the Juno Beach Centre,
we stopped at Beny-sur-mer, a cemetery
dedicated to the Canadian soldiers
that gave their lives to liberate France
and save the world. The emotion didn’t
hit me right away, but crept up on
me as I wandered through the rows,
seeing graves of men but one, two,
three years older than I am. Some that
had wives and young children back home,
who needed to learn how to get along
without them. It was then that I began
to cry. The tears surprised me, as
I didn’t expect to become that
emotional. We then arrived here, at
the Juno Beach Centre. Before beginning
our tour, we walked down to the beach
itself. Again, pain for all that was
lost, and awe and gratitude for all
that was gained and grabbed hold of
me. My own great-grandfather fought
in WWII, and the magnitude of what
he did hit me for the first time. At
home, we see videos, read books and
articles about all of these events,
but being here, seeing just how precious
life really is, and that humanity must
never let that happen again.
