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PAGE 6, WHITBY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 1987 r e pA VOICE OF THE COUNTY TOWN The only Whitby newspaper independently owned and operated by Whitby residents for Whitby residents L Published every Wednesday By 677209 Ontario Inc. Phone: 668-6111 Douc Ander son Publisher Maurice Pif her Editor Peter Irvine Advertising Manager Alexandra Simon Production Manager Whom do we remember? As the artillerymen swung three abreasi <lown ain Street. ira ffic stopped an<l people watched from the sidewalks. Some stood in silence. A few wvept. Some cheered a bit or called oui to soldiers they.knew -to an officer ivho had for .years devoted his spare time to the militia battery, to a genial giant from the slums, to a farmboy from Taylor Village, to a man with a police record, to a teenager leaving the prettiest girl in town. When war came, Canadians volunteered readily to serve their country as champions of liberty. They came from farms, from small towns and large cities across the country, riding high on the initial wave of indignation, excitement, and patriotism. They joined Canada's war effort prepared to defend, to care for the wounded, to prepare materials of war, and to provide economic and moral support. War has always meant death, destruction, ab- sence from loved ones, but in the initial surge of patriotic fervour these played a secondary role. For the men and women who rallied to support their nation's cause, the threats of war seemed far away and unreal. In the fall of 1914 as the Fir- st Contingent of Canadians left the shelter of the St. Lawrence for the open Atlantic, some of the realities came into focus. Nursing Sister Con- stance Bruce wrote:- Those who came forward had not stopped to count the cost, for the excitement was thrilling. the lotterv alluring. and the cause glorious: but now thi the confusion was passed, and the fulfilment of vows Ilone remainedi o be faced. things took on a more sombre aspect.... How could they know that four long years of death and destruction were ahead? Again in 1939 when the mobilization orders came for the Second World War, Canadians flocked to enlis&. They included veterans of earlier wars, boys still in high school, and thousands of unemployed. The recruits came from many regions and from varied backgroun- ds. Aubrey Cosens, 18 years of age, a railway section hand at Porquis Junction, Ontario, was rejected by the RCAF but did get into the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. Robert Gray, on graduation from the University of British Colum- bia, joined the Navy. John Foote,-a 35 year old Presbyterian minister, joined the chaplain corps. All were typical Canadians and all distinguished themselves and won the Victoria Cross. Even as they experienced the brutality of the war, some men took time to question the forces which had brought the hostility between coun- tries to its present state, and to ponder on the ability to return to normal. Donald Pearce wrote these words from a front line dugout: When wvill il all end? The idiocy an<l the tension, the lving of young men, the destruction of homes. of cihies. starvation, exhaustion, disease. chiidren pareniless and losi. cages fuill of shivering, staring prisoners. long Unes of civilians plodiding through mul. ihe enelless poun<ling of the battle-line. For those who witnessed first hand the bar- baric realities of combat, the desire for reason and for peace was dominant. Yet only a few years later, in 1950, Canadians were again called to uphold the cause of peace and freedom. The men and women who served under the Unitéd Nations flag in Korea included new recruits as well as veterans from the previous war. Along with various army units, the navy and the airfprce provided vital support and endured months of hardship in the hope of maintaining world peace. For all of these conflicts fought in far-off lan- ds, there is much to remember. Foremost are the people, the men and women who served wherever they were needed. They faced difficult situations bravely and brought honour to them- selves, to their loved ones and to their country. They were ordinary Canadians who made ex- traordinary sacrifices. LETTERS FROM OUR READERS Column should not have painted all workers with same brush To the editor: My letter of Oct. 30, under the heading 'Column negative to seniors' contains a couple of errors, I said "Any member of the Cen- tre Ms McCabe was alluding to, should be insulted by her remarks", not any "number" as printed. In the following paragraph the word "not" has been left out at a critical part of the sentence. Mistakes like this can change the whole meaning of a letter, which fortunatelv is not the case here. This week the postal workers and school teachers are the bad guys for Ms. McCabe (Nov. 4 Free Press,) having the nerve to strike for what they believe is their due. I wonder why she doesn't mention management, who are not always 'squeaky clean' when it comes to provoking such action? As for violence, sometimes, whether physical or vocal, it is practised by most people, some of whom you would least expect -take for example the recent doctors' strike. I'm sure no one condones violence, and once again we should not paint all postal workers with the same brush -any I have had to deal with are as civil and law abiding as one would care to meet, until pushed to protect their way of life and drastic action is necessary. Albert Knibb Whitby Thanks for making show a success To the editor: The first 'Sports Collectibles and Comic Book' show held in Durham Region has been an unqualified success. The show, sponsored by General Motors Canadian export operations and the United Way, at- tracted vendors from various communities in Ontario and from as far away as Montreal. Total paid admissions exceeded 700 and generated proceeds of $1,600 which were presented to the United Way. We wish to extend our personal thanks to the businesses who par- ticipated in this event. Their tangible show of support and en- couragement of our efforts to sup- port the United Way are a reflec- tion of the great community spirit at work in the Durham Region. Terry Dougherty, George Mauro, Jan Reid, Brian Humble Canadian Export Operations United Way Committee Appreciation for finding wallet To the editor: I would like to thank the very kind lady who found my wallet and returned it to me intact on Satur- day, Oct. 17. I couldn't believe my good for- tune. The wallet held $159 in cash etrid no identification other than a receipt with my name on it. She delivered it to me personally and would not accept a reward other than a hug. Your kindness will be rewarded someday. Yours truly, Linda Stewart Whitby 1 The Free Press Building 131 Brock Street North. P.O. Box 206. Whitby. Ont.