Check out the numbers for the six wars listed on page 17. The numbers that follow here are from the list in the previous article:
21.8 million: The number of military veterans in the United States in 2010.
1.6 million: The number of female veterans in 2010.
2.4 million: The number of black veterans in 2010. Additionally, 1.2 million veterans were Hispanic.
9 million: The number of veterans 65 and older in 2010. At the other end of the age spectrum, 1.7 million were younger than 35.
7.6 million: Number of Vietnam-era veterans in 2010. Thirty-five percent of all living veterans served during this time (1964-1975). In addition, 4.8 million served during the Gulf War (representing service from Aug. 2, 1990, to present); 2.1 million in World War II (1941-1945); 2.6 million in the Korean War (1950-1953); and 5.5 million in peacetime only.
In Canada and across the Commonwealth it is Remembrance Day, usually the most solemn of the year. I’m a dual Canada/US citizen and my oldest son, quite unusually, served in the armed forces of both Canada (infantry) and the USA (air force).
Canadians have fought in Afghanistan for a decade and are only now winding down their involvement. The Canadians combat regiments — the Princess Pats, the Royal Canadian, the Vignt-Deux, and the Royal Newfounland — have been in the thick of it all along, near Kandahar especially — which was probably the toughest gig in A-stan — and they were consistently punching far above their weight.
Canadians have done that for a long time, suffering over 65,000 KIA in World War 1 (out of a population of just 7 million). They lost another 45,000 in WW2, but were so tough and skilled that they had their own beach at Normandy (Juno). The US and the UK each had two beaches, but the Canadians were the only ones to arrive at their Day 1 objective.
In Afghanistan they’ve lost about 160 people, a casualty rate more than 50% higher than America’s based on population. Their dead have names like Philippe Michaud, Josh Baker, Karine Blais, Matt McCully, Kristal Giesebrecht, and Hani Massoueh.
Canadians also developped the idea of a peace-keeping force, in 1956, and a non-trivial number of troops have lost their lives in those endeavours as well.
As I said, in Canada today is Remembrance Day, and all week lapels have been ablaze with poppies — “In Flanders Fields” (see below) was written by a Canadian — and the entire country will come to an utter standstill at 11 am, for two full minutes of silence.
I encourage you to view this rather remarkable video about the [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fojukFxpPMI]two minutes[/url] … it was filmed in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, in 1999, before Afghanistan, and is thus in some ways even more powerful.
If by chance you wish to listen live to [url=http://www.cbc.ca/video/#/Radio]Canada’s Remembrance Day ceremony[/url] from Ottawa, it is broadcast live on the CBC, beginning about 10:50 AM Eastern. Go to the CBC site and in the Radio One box click on “listen live”. This is no mere “Veterans’ Day.”
Bart Hall,
That Video has always made me start to tear up. Thanks for sharing the link here in T19 land. I always want to just smack the “father” in the video. (I know, that’s not very Christian.)
Please thank your son for his service to both of the great North American Nations.
I am proud to know a number of Canadian Veterans. They are our close friends. The American Legion and the Royal Canadian Legion are partners in many ways.
So let us remember our Vets on Veterans Day/Remembrance Day.
A grateful beneficiary of the work of Veterans