Vimy Pilgrimage Award Blog – 8 April 2019
Still in France, our VPA 2019 recipients visited the Battle of Hill 70 Memorial and the Cabaret-Rouge Cemetery. In the afternoon, the students visited more sites including the French military cemetery Notre-Dame-de-Lorette, the Ring of Remembrance, and Cherisy. Read the students’ posts about their experiences. (Please note: participants will blog in their language of preference).
Aujourd’hui, nous sommes allés au Mémorial de la Côte 70. Je pense que ce monument était très intéressant à visiter parce que c’est un événement pas très connu. Le mémorial est dans un parc au nord de la France. Dans ce parc, il y avait un monument canadien qui a été créé cent ans après la guerre. La figure était située 70 mètres au-dessus du niveau de la mer pour représenter où la bataille était battue. Autour de ce monument, il y avait des petits détails qui représentent le Canada ; les feuilles d’érable et le drapeau du Canada étaient dessinés au sol.
Quand on était en devant du monument, nous avons parlé de l’efficacité du monument. Moi, je pense que ce monument est efficace en termes d’être respectueux aux soldats qui sont morts. Mais, je pense que par rapport aux informations pour le public, le monument n’est pas efficace. Toutes les informations que j’ai apprises sur le monument ont été grâce aux accompagnateurs et accompagnatrices du programme. Un des buts de ce monument est d’éduquer le public sur une bataille, mais l’héritage de la bataille ne peut pas être compris par la majorité des personnes. Je pense que ce monument a un grand potentiel d’être efficace pour la commémoration d’une bataille oubliée avec quelques changements de présentation pour le public.
Brooke Glazier, North Vancouver BC
580 000 – a number that can represent the population of a village, city, or in some cases an entire country. But that number also represents 580 000 brave young men who were loved brothers, fathers, and uncles, all with stories to tell. The Ring of Remembrance pays tribute to these soldiers and the unique memorial makes no distinction between their nationalities and rank. Standing on the platform at the entrance, I was surrounded by panels decorated with the names of fallen soldiers. With every step, more names came into focus and a flood of emotions washed over me. Feelings of sorrow and sympathy were prominent throughout the visit and stayed with me throughout the day. It was also at this memorial that I recognized the names of fallen Sikh soldiers, for the first time, which added a personal connection to the experience.
In addition to its ability to pay tribute those who sacrificed their life, the memorial extends to serve as a metaphor for the present day. Those who may have been enemies in past are now listed side by side, pointing to the trend of reconciliation between nations over the years. The Ring of Remembrance perfectly depicts the horrors of war but also illustrates humanity’s ability to move past tragedy, making it one of the most impactful sites I have visited during the program.
Navjot Kaur Khaira, Surrey BC
Today we visited the Bagneux British Cemetery where Emma presented a tribute for her nursing sister. Bagneux, as I later found out, happens to be one of the only cemeteries with headstones of Canadian nursing sisters. I felt this was a really important monument because the service and sacrifice of our nursing sisters are generally less well-known and perhaps, less appreciated. This is despite the fact that nursing sister also faced the same risks of death and injury as well as tough living conditions. When I checked the registers of cemeteries across the Western Front similar to this one, most were last signed around November 2018! The similar fact that 20 students from the homeland of nursing sisters travelled all the way to France to commemorate and honour the nursing sisters is actually really special. This cemetery may not have even seen 20 visitors this entire year! I am extremely grateful to have this privilege of doing so, and look forward to presenting the soldiers I’ve researched tomorrow.
Joon Hyeong Sohn, Surrey BC