Mark et all.
  At the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month ( the time &  
date of the signing of the armistice to end "the war to end all  
wars") Canadians gather at the local Cenotaph to remember those that  
gave their lives in the "Great War".  Over time it has expanded it's  
inclusiveness to include WW2, Korea, UN peacekeeping actions, the  
Balkans, and now Afghanistan where another six Canadian soldiers,  
along with their Afghani interpreter, lost their lives today.

"Dignitaries", veterans, service men and women and citizens mark a  
minutes silence, lay wreaths, say prayers if they are so inclined and  
listen to a lone bugler play taps to close the ceremony.
Though a statutory holiday, most retail outlets are open these days,  
though some (few) do wait until noon to do so.  Like so many things  
in our consumer driven culture, this too is being eroded in the name  
of commerce.

The most surprising/ironic incidence of that, at least in my  
experience, occurred at a Canadian Forces Europe air base in West  
Germany where I lived and worked in 1980-83.  I was expecting a  
sombre ceremony and a day of reflection ensconced as I was in a  
military community.  There were church services, colour guards,  
wreath laying and a fly-past. All to be expected but at 11:30, CANEX  
(base exchange) opened it's doors for the largest sale of the year.   
First in line? American service personnel from bases one to three  
hours away.  I was told by a staff member that this was their single  
largest sales day in the year.   I had expected more respect for the  
day there but apparently nothing competes with a good bargain.
C� la vie

On Jul 4, 2007, at 4:44 PM, Automatic digest processor wrote:

> Don, my calendar says that Nov. 11 in Canada is called Remembrance  
> Day.  Is
> it for WWI, for military veterans, or pretty much for anyone that has
> passed?
>
> Mark Hersh
> 86 Weekender "Monty"