Who remembers?

[smellie]

This is July 1, 2011.

In Canada, the Government is subsidising fireworks to celebrate something called `Canada Day`, which means nothing to me. It used to be called `Dominion Day` and it celebrated Canada`s accession to complete self-governing status within the British Commonwealth. It MEANT something.

On July 1, 1916 -- just 95 years ago today -- Canadian, British and Newfoundland troops assaulted a strongly-held German front line along the Somme River in France. This was to be The Big Push, the battle which would end the War. By the end of the day, Commonwealth forces had lost 25,000 men, the German Empire had lost better than 20,000, the Newfoundland Army had sustained 92 percent casualties.

The battle went on for another 4-1/2 months.

July 1, legally, still is Memorial Day in Newfoundland, although Canadian influences have pretty much destroyed it.

But some of us still remember, because we had friends there, or we lost family there, or we have a sincere interest in how the world got as messed-up as it is..... and that day was crucial..... and remains so.

I remembered.

Did you?
.

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