Remembrance Day 2007

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyrCm5e32qc

This is the Terry Kelly Pittance Remembrance Day video from You Tube. Sing along with the words below. It's a beautiful tribute to those who have lost a loved one in war.

It's A Pittance of Time

They fought and some died for their homeland,
They fought and some died now it's our land.
Look at his little child there's no fear in her eyes.
Could he not show respect for other Dads who have died?

Take 2 minutes — would you mind? — it's a pittance of time.
For the boys and the girls who went over.
In peace may they rest; may we never forget why they died.
It's A Pittance of Time.

God forgive me for wanting to strike him.
Give me strength so as not to be like him.
My heart pounds in my breast, fingers pressed to my lips.
My throat wants to call out. My tongue barely resists.

But 2 minutes I will bide; it's a Pittance of time.
For the boys and the girls who went over.
In peace may they rest may we never forget why they died.
It's A Pittance of Time.

Read the letters and poems of the heroes at home.
They have casualties, battles, and fears of their own.
There's a price to be paid if you go if you stay.
Freedom's fought for and won in numerous ways.

Take 2 minutes — would you mind? — it's a pittance of time.
For the boys and the girls all over
May we never forget our young become vets, at the end of the line
It's A Pittance of Time.

It takes courage to fight in your own war.
It takes courage to fight someone else's war.
Our peace-keepers tell of their own living hell
They bring hope to foreign lands that hate mongers can't kill.

Take 2 minutes — would you mind? — it's a pittance of time
For the boys and the girls who go over.
In peace time our best still don battle dress
and lay their lives on the line
It's A Pittance of Time.

In peace may they rest; Lest we forget why they died.
Take A Pittance of Time.

Why Terry Made This Video

On November 11, 1999 Terry Kelly was in a drug store in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. At 10:55 AM an announcement came over the store's PA asking customers who would still be on the premises at 11:00 AM to give two minutes of silence in respect to the veterans who have sacrificed so much for us.

Terry was impressed with the store's leadership role in adopting the Legion's "two minutes of silence" initiative. He felt that the store's contribution of educating the public to the importance of remembering was commendable.

When eleven o'clock arrived on that day, an announcement was again made asking for the "two minutes of silence" to commence. All customers, with the exception of a man who was accompanied by his young child, showed their respect.

Terry's anger towards the father for trying to engage the store's clerk in conversation and for setting a bad example for his child was channeled into a beautiful piece of work called, "A Pittance of Time". Terry later recorded "A Pittance of Time" and included it on his full-length music CD, "The Power of the Dream".

In the interest of creating a greater awareness of the sacrifices that have been made and are still being made on our behalf, "A Pittance of Time" has been adapted to the French language and titled "C'est si peu de temps". Music videos for both audio tracks too were produced in support of the campaign and a musical/theatrical concert production, "Two Minutes of Silence -- A Pittance of Time", was written for the stage.

"Two Minutes of Silence - A Pittance of Time" combines music and theatre in an emotional production that looks at the folly of war. The inspirational songs and dramatic monologues evoke memories both tinged with sadness and joy that ultimately underscore the need for hope and faith in the goodness of humankind.

A relationship - set in World War One -- unfolds as a young Canadian soldier fighting in the trenches attempts to bring some sanity to his horrific situation by corresponding with his new bride back home.

Singer/songwriter Terry Kelly features many of his own compositions such as "In My Father's House", "Moment To Moment", "We Can Do Anything", Safe Home, "A Pittance of Time" (and more) plus a few familiar songs from war times - "Pack Up Your Troubles", "It's a Long Way to Tipperary", "Over There"

....This self-contained production includes three musicians, two actors, and a technical crew. - Terry Kellyelement enterprises uploaded this video to pay respect to the veterans of the Canadian Forces.

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My brother Kevin has used this as a Tribute to our Father who fought in the war and died on Remembrance Day when I was still pregnant with my last child. I remember getting the phone call when I was curled up on the couch watching the Remembrance Day service on the TV with the kids, enjoying a lovely fall view out our wall sized window on a sunshiny autumn day.

I also remember the mystical moment a few days later when we buried my father in our Lakehurst country cemetery, beside my sister who was buried there the previous year when she was only 30 years old. It was such a sad day but as we drove across the the bridge over Buckhorn Lake a loon popped up out of the water on one side of the crossing and then popped up again at the other side of the crossing. My father loved wild life and was an avid duck hunter..... so this loon was a real sign of his love and presence with us on that day.

If you read my brother's Tribute you will notice that my father was stationed on a famous destroyer called the Restigouche. I came across this article referring to it recently.

Another Remebrance Day memory occurred in 1999 when I participated in the Remembrance Day Service at Parliament Hill with my friend Louise McArthur. We were inveigled to lay a wreath on the Cenotaph in Ottawa for our CFUW (Canadian Federation of University Women) club. Thus we got passes to get up close.

It was a wonderful and exhilarating service on a crisp but sunny morning with a cloudless blue sky and great throngs of people on parliament hill. Due to the construction work being done around the WAR MEMORIAL area the service was moved to the hill, in front of the Peace Tower and a new LEST WE FORGET Tomb of The Unknown Soldier memorial addition.

Louise and I got chatting so arrived breathless just in time to duck under the fence and get into the press area where all the private wreath layers were gathered. To my right was a sickly and aging man in an electronic scooter outfitted with a Canadian Flag. I jockeyed for position and was wishing I had my old stilts so I could take better pictures.

I thought of my Dad who died on Remembrance Day in 1981 and chastised myself for not showing more interest in his war time experiences, for not seeing the meaning or understanding the impact that this must have had on his life.

So along with many others who have lost loved ones either through war or in other ways I stood there on that day and was moved. I thought of lots of words to describe the experience and then settled on writing a poem for it can contain so much emotion in the seeds of small words.

Perhaps this will bring some meaning to your Remembrance Day too. It was indeed an honour to be in Ottawa and be able to be part of such a huge, poignant and venerable celebration. In this we live and die and cry for life and freedom and the many blessings we so eagerly take for granted.

Marching

Marching, marching,
Pipe band, Colour party, Veterans,
Canadian Forces, RCMP, Cadets and Guns
Came up the centre path
Marching, marching
While their medals danced in the sun.

Clarkson, Clarkson
Our new Governor's General arrived
Dignity in black with a flourish of gray
Awakening hearts in your special way
Clarkson, Clarkson
We're proud you're a woman today.

We are ready, ready
In mournful array, the lone figures
Dressed in their military clothes
Revere the monument in stuatuesque pose
We are ready, ready
To honour those past with a joy that's morose.

Haunting, haunting
Our children in red sing of freedom and pride
Last Post, The Silence, Lament and Reveille
With a three-plane salute and guns on the side
Haunting, haunting
Our souls are disturbed for a war so denied.

Praying. praying
O Lord hear our angst, for those lost all these years
Who went to their sleep with dreams unfulfilled
And left behind loved ones so safe but in tears
Praying, praying
Our souls are united for God gave us love.

The wreaths are placed upon the stones
We file past one by one
Poppies more poppies
Tears and berets
Remember ..... their
Bones.

Marching, marching
Where did those years go? Why do the tears flow?
Look at them aged, crippled and lame
So few stand for many, they came, they came
Marching, marching
Our hearts burst with sadness and pride and shame.

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And finally we need a child's perspective. How many years in our little school house, did we have a special Red Cross Remembrance Day program. It seemed so long ago. Well now many of us have grand children of our own and one of my friends sent me this Remembrance Day poem her daughter wrote.

Red Poppy By Jasmine Rach (Mavis Moore's grand daughter)

Red poppy, red poppy,
is what everyone wears,
Red poppy, red poppy,
for everyone who cares,
for those whoe died in
that terrible war,
for those who survived
in that terrible war.
Red poppy, red poppy,
is with us today,
Red poppy, red poppy,
is here to stay.