QW - COL G. BTUVHMULLER'S INFANTRY

"The thanks of the infantry, in my opinion, must be treasured more by every artilleryman than all decorations and citations. "

Canadian infantryman in Korea, 1951-54. The period 1950-1955 saw 12 Canadian infantry battalions serving in Korea, most of them with the 25th Canadian Infantry Brigade as part of the First Commonwealth Division. Reconstruction by Ron Volstad.

-Colonel George Bruchmuller,

Imperial German Army Artillery Officer and Father of Modern Fire Support

QW - SOLDIERS ETERNAL

"Wars may come and go, but my soldiers remain eternal"

2Pac

A TEACHER'S LESSON

A lesson that should be taught in all schools . . And colleges



Back in September, on the first day of school, Martha Cothren, a social studies school teacher, did something not to be forgotten. On the first day of school, with the permission of the school superintendent, the principal and the building supervisor, she removed all of the desks out of her classroom.

When the first period kids entered the room they discovered that there were no desks.

'Ms.. Cothren, where're our desks?'

She replied, 'You can't have a desk until you tell me how you earn the right to sit at a desk.'

They thought, 'Well, maybe it's our grades.'

'No,' she said.

'Maybe it's our behavior.'

She told them, 'No, it's not even your behavior.'

And so, they came and went, the first period, second period, third period. Still no desks in the classroom.

By early afternoon television news crews had started gathering in Ms.Cothren's classroom to report about this crazy teacher who had taken all the desks out of her room.

The final period of the day came and as the puzzled students found seats on the floor of the deskless classroom, Martha Cothren said, 'Throughout the day no one has been able to tell me just what he/she has done to earn the right to sit at the desks that are ordinarily found in this classroom. Now I am going to tell you.'

At this point, Martha Cothren went over to the door of her classroom and opened it.

Twenty-seven (27) War Veterans, all in uniforms, walked into that classroom, each one carrying a school desk. The Vets began placing the school desks in rows, and then they would walk over and stand alongside the wall... By the time the last soldier had set the final desk in place those kids started to understand, perhaps for the first time in their lives, just how the right to sit at those desks had been earned..

Martha said, 'You didn't earn the right to sit at these desks. These heroes did it for you. They placed the desks here for you. Now, it's up to you to sit in them. It is your responsibility to learn, to be good students, to be good citizens. They paid the price so that you could have the freedom to get an education. Don't ever forget it.'



By the way, this is a true story. Martha Cothren is a teacher is the USA but this story transends boarders, so, we thought it appropriate.



Consider passing this along, so others won't forget that the freedoms we have in this great country were earned by War Veterans.



LEST WE FORGET - Wear a Poppy to show your respect on Remembrance (Vetrans) Day



For more on this story go to - http://www.snopes.com/glurge/nodesks.asp

PW - THE SOLDIER

The air is choked with dust,

The rockets come screaming in;

There is sadness and suffering,

But amidst the chaos, there is you.

The people trudge through the day,

The downing of the sun, yet nothing stills;

There is the frantic activity of nations,

But during the night, there is you.

The sights, the sounds, smells,

The longing for home, the heartache for peace;

There are nightmares, and dreams of better days,

But cutting through the endless dark, there is you.

The tired soldiers so weary to the bone,

The bravest of hearts and courage of spirit;

There is love and joy and honor always to be found,

And like the beautiful angel at my side, there is you, the soldier.

by A. Landry

Kandahar, Afghanistan March 10, 2009

QW - AN OPINION ON THE ARTILLERY

"The artillery was my strongest tool. Often it was my only reserve.... I repeatedly said it was more a matter of the infantry supporting the artillery than the artillery supporting the infantry.... I wish I knew the countless times that positions were taken or held due solely to TOT's ...."

-Unknown

QW - DEFINITION OF THE INFANTRYMAN

(Canadians in Italy, 1943-1945)

“The art of the infantryman is less sterotyped and far harder to acquire in modern war than any other arm. The role of the average Artilleryman, for instance, is largely routine; the setting of a fuse, the locating of a gun, even the laying of it, are processes which once learned, are mechanical. The Infantryman has to use initiative and intelligence in almost every step he moves, every action he takes on the battlefield. We ought, therefore, to put or best intelligence in the infantry.”

-Unknown-

PW - MAPLE LEAFS

The Maple Leafs are falling

On foreign soil once again,

To be scattered cross the desert

By unforgiving Asian wind.

This dust is barren, unprotected,

Unlike his field of wheat;

The sand is so unlike his Maritimes,

No majestic Rockie peak.

He hears a lonely Piper now,

Black boots marching through the snow,

The warm drape of the Maple Leaf,

Tells him all he has to know.

Four winds have gently cast the Leaf,

To land on home terrain,

Flying freely there, he will declare,

His fall was not in vain.

by J.S. McGregor

Students remember teacher killed in Afghanistan

Students at St. Cecilia Junior High School posted notes in memory of George Miok,the teacher and Canadian reservist who was killed in Afghanistan last month.

(for more click image)

THE FIRST OF 2010

Greetings,

Well, we embark on a new year and another attempt to keep up to date with this blog. The last few years we have not been able to make as many posts as we have wanted and hope to work on that shortfall this year.

Some of the changes we are going to try to incorporate this years are the "Poem of the Week", Book Reviews from others and this site, more jokes, and stories. The intent will be to focus more on the positives rather than the negatives. This is to go without saying that the unfortunate losses will still be posted in order to pass on our respects.

Again, for those who do, from time to time have a read, please continue to post your comments.

Have a good year,
JH