Hello everyone! A very warm welcome to you all! The video I have chosen for this post is a beautiful French song from 1932 entitled "Bird Songs at Eventide - Les Oiseaux dans le Soir" - Georges Thill. It is accompanied by some lovely bird images. Enjoy!
November 11th is known as Remembrance Day in England and here in Canada. It is the day that the world sets aside a time to remember the veterans who fought in the war for our freedom.
My father was one of those men. Although he was born in Canada...and a Canadian, he joined the army in 1939 in Dartford, Kent, England...this is where his parents are from. Unfortunately, for my dear father, he was captured early on in the war and became a prisoner. He never told me, his only child, or my mother, about the horrible things he suffered at the hands of his captors, but I know that he went through a lot.
I chose the song I am posting today because my father loved nature...just like me. He loved listening to good music and he loved the sounds of nature and was very gentle and kind to animals and to those around him. He was not perfect, and from what I know, he began drinking beer after the war in an attempt to forget the horrible things he went through. Over the years he realized that this was not a good thing and sought out help for his alcohol problem. Still, even though he and my mother had many arguments, he never harmed me, he was always kind and gentle with me (well, when I misbehaved I got the odd spanking), but that was it.
My father told me that he forgave his captors, which I am very glad for, as his attitude taught me to be kind and gentle with others...and to forgive. My father was born on December 19, 1919 and died of a heart attack in a veterans' hospital on August 13th, 1984.
I am sharing a photo of my father that was taken in 1939...and then a photo of my parents that was taken most likely in the late 1940's, before I was born. You just need to click on the images to see a larger view.
This post is a tribute to my beloved father...and to all veterans who fought for our freedom.
Thank you all so much for visiting me here! I always appreciate and enjoy reading your kind thoughts, which you are always welcome to share.
This is a beautiful post and a beautiful tribute to your father, Linda! Thank you for telling us about him and his service. I am so sorry he suffered as he did and am so glad that he had things like nature, music and his family to comfort him. You inherited his gentle and kind ways, I am sure. :-)
ReplyDeleteYes, thanks to your father, and thanks to all who served and serve.
ReplyDeleteWow what an absolutely beautiful tribute to your father Linda. This was very very moving and touching.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful voice the singer has! Your tribute to your Dad is filled with love. I'm glad you included the pictures, which are always fun and interesting to see.
ReplyDeleteThis is beautiful tribute to your father, Linda!
ReplyDeleteYour father sounds a lovely man...and don't he and your mother make a handsome couple.
ReplyDeleteYour dad is a hero, in more ways than one. This lovely tribute is a sweet way to remember him and other veterans who have fought (and are fighting) for our freedoms.
ReplyDeleteHandsome couple !
ReplyDeleteThanks for theses photos of the past.
Veterans are heros !!!! Thanks to them.
A wonderful tribute! A beautiful post!
ReplyDeletebeautiful couple!
ReplyDeleteHappy Veterans/Rem. day
ReplyDeleteHello Linda, your blog is very interesting and this one a beautiful tribute to your dad ! Thank you for your comments on my blog !
ReplyDeleteDominique
Beautiful, touching, words from your heart, and your dear gentle Dad, one of so many who suffered, and couldn't manage to talk, and ease their memories of pain, deprivation, and so much more . Photos to treasure. fond greetings from Jean.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful tribute.
ReplyDeleteBonjour de France
Coucou Linda.
ReplyDeleteMerci de ta gentille visites.
Tu as raison pour ce jour du souvenir, beaucoup de canadiens sont morts sur le sol de France, la ville de Dieppe a de forts liens avec le Canada...
....j'ai des image des plages où hommage leur est rendu....
Bisous A + :))
A very fitting tribute to your father. We cannot begin to imagine the horrors experienced by those involved in war.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful music to accompany this post.
Merci de nous avoir rendu visite sur Les Fous du Cap.
ReplyDeleteUn bonjour du Canada, c'est le début d'un rêve de voyage que nous réaliserons peut-être un jour.
Bien amicalement.
Céline & Philippe
what a moving and beautiful tribute!
ReplyDeleteI love these old photos, D and M were handsome and beautiful. My Father and his Nephew were in WW2, neither would talk about it, it was a firmly closed door, though we'd learn they suffered, and guarding their memories as we know now was so unhealthy and so many of them turned to alcohol. What a lovely tribute to your Dad.
ReplyDeleteGreat tribute! Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteun bel hommage
ReplyDeleteUn bonito homenaje a tu padre.
ReplyDeleteSaludos.
My heart goes out to you and your father. It is so sad to think how many of our parents generation were touched, hurt and maybe permanently damaged by war. May peace be our inheritance, learning and wisdom.
ReplyDeleteHei Linda ! Tämä on kaunis kunniaosoitus isällesi ja kaikille veteraaneille Kiitos :)
ReplyDeleteWell said Linda, a heartfelt tribute.
ReplyDeleteMy father, his brothers and their father before them all served in HM Forces, so maybe it was in my blood when I joined up and served my country.
Lest we forget...........
un bel hommage à ton père...
ReplyDeletec'est un très bel hommage, et vos parents étaient charmants.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much Linda for sharing this beautiful recollection of your father and his life. I really appreciated reading it.
ReplyDeleteLovely tribute to your dear father , I love the black and white pictures.
ReplyDeleteA stirring, thoughtful remembrance from the heart.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful tribute, Linda.
ReplyDeleteLie(f)s.
Beautiful tribute. My husband's uncle from Canada is buried in the North of France. Sadly he did not make it back. Diane
ReplyDeleteBeautiful Linda - pictures, words, emotion...what a wonderful tribute to a very brave man.
ReplyDeleteVery beautiful dear Linda!
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately the video doesn't t work here ...
I love the way you speak from your beloved father!
Happy week Linda!
With love,
Geli
Linda, this is a lovely tribute to your father. He would be proud of you....your gentleness and caring ways.
ReplyDeleteA lot of men and women came back from the wars really shattered at what they witnessed and of course at that time there was no 'help' available for them like there is today....it is getting better.
Thanks for sharing this Linda.
Hello Linda, this is a beautiful tribute to your father, thank you for sharing the photographs. I’ve started to research my own family on my Flitney family blog, but it all takes so long, and I keep getting bogged down so I don’t post there very often. My great-grandfather and four of his brothers were killed in WW1, and other members of the family in WW2. I don’t know how my great, great grandmother coped with the loss of four of ‘her boys’ it is too heartbreaking to contemplate.
ReplyDeleteGiven being held a prisoner of war into account, it's quite understandable that it would have that affect on him afterwards.
ReplyDelete