Unlike the sombre Remembrance Day ceremonies held each
November, VE-Day commemorations give equal weight to
the fact that the day is a celebration of victory, as
well as a day to remember those who died.
It marks the end of the battle for those who lived and
were able to return home, raise families and restart
lives interrupted by war.
“I feel strongly for those kids who paid the ultimate
price,” said retired major W.
J. “Danny” McLeod, who gave the keynote speech at a
ceremony attended by hundreds of veterans, serving
Armed Forces personnel and civilians at St. George’s
Cathedral in Kingston yesterday afternoon.
And at a time when the number of Second World War
veterans is thinning, McLeod, who recently returned
from a battlefield tour of France, Holland and Germany
with his regiment, said seeing the way Europeans
continue to remember and respect the Canadian
war dead means they will live in
perpetuity.
“These kids are only dead when they are forgotten,” he
told the large crowd at the cathedral.
“In Europe, they are not forgotten; they are revered.”
The service was a multi-faith affair that heard
prayers from Christian, Islamic and Jewish religious
leaders.
Veterans and currently serving personnel from CFB
Kingston and Royal Military College marched from
Confederation Park to the cathedral accompanied by a
piper and a colour guard, who led the way into the
service.
Members of the public participated in record numbers,
with many at the ceremony sporting poppies, normally
only seen on Remembrance Day, to show their respect.
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While VE and VJ days – the latter commemorating the
end of the war against Japan – are normally little
observed outside Legions or the ranks of the armed
forces, the significance of this year’s date sparked
extensive media coverage of ceremonies in Europe and
thousands of small services in communities around the
world.
Mayor Harvey Rosen noted the significance of this
year’s ceremony.
“This may be the last May 8 observed to this degree
worldwide as so many of our veterans are, sadly,
passing on.”
However, he said citizens too young to remember the
war must still remember the service people who made
their current lives possible.
“Our gratitude and thanks will always be to them,” he
said.
In closing the ceremony, the crowd sang God Save The
Queen, the British Royal anthem that the young
Canadian soldiers heard as they shipped off to war.
Bert Diamond, president of Legion Branch 560, noted
the 60th anniversary of VE-Day was a significant
milestone given the age of the veterans, not just here
but around the world.
“The 60th anniversary is a significant one because
they figure there won’t be too many around for the
70th,” he said.
Added Kingston MP Peter Milliken: “This is different
than Remembrance Day in that it’s a celebration of
victory in Europe, and for the people who were there,
a chance to remember their comrades who didn’t come
home.
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