www.oakvillebeaver.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Thursday, November 12, 2009 · 14 Sacrifices by soldiers have not been in vain Continued from page 9 trust with his team and learned how to manage resources effectively. His time in Holland shaped who he was in so many ways. He was part of the Canadian Forces liberation of many Dutch towns and villages. He saw the joy on faces of those who lived in fear and who had been hungry for so long. He gave out loaves of bread to little kids who gave him hugs and cried on his legs. (The Dutch government awarded medals to Canadian soldiers who liberated the Dutch, but he didn't submit his application until I prodded him, but unfortunately it was after the deadline. He never got the medal.) He marched German troops back into Germany after the war had ended, but would talk about looking into their eyes and seeing a kid like him, who was just following orders, but probably would be a guy who you would like to get to know over a pint. He shared these stories only after being nudged into early retirement from a big Canadian financial institution, only to be replaced by as he put it, "a snot-nosed kid with an MBA." You see Lt. Ross only completed Grade 11. His experience in the War, Rusty's guidance and some post-war finance courses gave him something that no three-letter degree ever could ....the wherewithal to understand the "Take up our quarrel with the foe To you, from failing hands, we throw The torch: be yours to hold it high." In Flanders Fields, Colonel John McRae situation, ability to assess real risk, the confidence to act swiftly and decisively and the grace to be compassionate. He was gracious and noble right to the end. When he was hospitalized in his 83rd year with pneumonia, there were no beds to be had at the Oakville hospital. He spent a few days in an ER observation unit and one night he started to grumble that he wasn't able to sleep because he was on a gurney-style bed. He stopped in mid sentence, apologized for his rant and said that in reality the bed is quite luxurious compared to sleeping in the cargo hold of a Lancaster bomber or on an old barn door in a stable in Belgium or in a ditch Holland. About a week later, when he knew he wasn't going to be able to regain his strength and be able to go home and live on his own he said, "I'm ready to go. Other people need this bed more than I do." He said he was proud of me and knew I would be a good dad. He was so proud to finally be a grandfa- www.OakvilleHonda.com Used Vehicles ther and to know that his grandson would be a 10th generation Canadian. There really was no unfinished business between us. He then put his mind and body to peacefully dying and passed three days later. One final selfless act to reinforce his commitment to the betterment of the lives of others. It is only four years after my Dad's passing that I really appreciate the true magnitude of the wisdom demonstrated by how he lived. Piecing together the fragments of his life from old photos, documents, letters and bits of stories that I now wish I had paid more attention to has been a cathartic personal experience. This knowledge is a remarkable gift. I must try to live up to his and my grandfather's legacy by being a better husband and striving to pass on to my son and daughter these priceless values. Rusty and Dave were driven to act and guided by principles, which were tested during the wars. They believed that they were fighting for a just cause. They fought oppression and they fought for the democratic freedoms we take for granted today. I feel this inspiration whenever I hear Colonel John McRae's timeless poem In Flanders Fields. I always lose it when I read the beginning of the third verse: "Take up our quarrel with the foe To you, from failing hands, we throw The torch: be yours to hold it high." On a glorious late fall afternoon as I watched my kids play on my street in suburban Oakville, I realized that I was seeing everything that Dave and Rusty fought so hard to achieve and what the Canadian Forces continue to fight for today in Afghanistan or on naval patrol in the Middle East. I stand on the sidewalk and see I am surrounded by families who chose Canada. Croatians who saw a brutal civil war in the Balkans, Iraqis who got their family to safety before the first Gulf War, Columbians wanting their kids to be able to go out after dark, and Punjabis willing to start new businesses in their new country. My six-year-old son, who is learning French at school, rides his bike with one of his best friends, a young Muslim girl. He knows about Ramadan, Hanukkah and Chinese New Year. He eats roti, pad thai and pierogies. He knows that some kids have two moms or dads. My two-year-old daughter, who inherited the gene for Rusty's flaming red hair, is being entertained by a young Russian boy. At night, I read stories to the kids and try to be like my Dad. Gentle yet strong, funny but wise, caring, kind and loving. It's not easy and sometimes I can't do it and I think I have a long way to go. But I always know that it is in my DNA and if I close my eyes take a deep breath and think of them, ultimately they will show me the way. Duncan H. Ross is an Oakville resident. CIVICS STARTING FROM $8,990 14 TO CHOOSE FROM ING ANC FIN TED RA M FRO ACCORDS STARTING FROM $13,590 11 TO CHOOSE FROM 2.9 % Six year 120,000km limited warranty CRVs STARTING FROM 30 day exchange policy 100 point mechanical Car proof history repor t on every purchase PILOTS STARTING FROM $16,990 6 TO CHOOSE FROM $24,990 3 TO CHOOSE FROM Thinking Honda? Think Oakville Honda @ QEW & Trafalgar 500 Iroquois Shore Rd., Oakville 1-866-685-6281