Vimy and Thelus…Canada Proud

Early morning needed and not needed all at the same time,  6:30 AM breakfast and 7:00 AM departure turned into 7:55 departure and a 7:20 breakfast for a couple who swore their alarms were both set, but after a few loud knocks on the door they seemed to wake quite well.  We didn’t leave late because of the boys, the bus was running late so all was good.

       Once on the road, many went back to sleep and I was able to begin to exact my revenge on some people.  Those pics will be kept until another incident happens and then potentially released to the world.

     We have about a 2 hour drive to the Vimy Memorial and really the beginning of the highlight of the trip for me.  Yes, I know it is not about me,  it is about them, the young soldiers' names who grace the monument and the stones in Thelus.  I made a promise to the young men in that cemetery  and especially Corp. CJ Clue, that I would make sure they were remembered and visited as often I could.  Once again today I am lucky enough to fulfill that promise and I hope to continue that tradition for as long as I am able to, and when not, I think I have been able to pass that torch along to some pretty competent young people.

 

 First stop this AM is at the Memorial for a guided tour of  the tunnels and the trenches in order to gain further perspective as to what it is like to be a Canadian in Europe as well as understanding a little bit more of what April 9, 1917 might have been like for these young Canadians.  For those of you that may not know, the expanse of land that the Vimy Memorial sits on was gifted to Canada by the French government as a gift for the role our country played in the battles that led to the end of the First World War.  When at Vimy you are actually standing on what is considered Canadian soil. To travel here is an honor and a privilege and makes me so proud to be Canadian.  The kids sense that as well and are beaming with pride.  My heart is certainly full to start the day.

   

The guides walked them through the main trench area and eventually the underground portion.  They emphasized the numbers of soldiers that would have been present 108 years ago, their ages , and what they would have been doing back in the day getting ready for the battle on the 9th.  Following the walk through the transportation tunnels and advanced communication trenches above ground, we made our way up the ridge to the monument.

 I am sitting trying to think about my first experience at Vimy and what I thought about that day.  I think it is simply pride, I am proud to be a Canadian, no more no less than before our neighbor to the south starting spouting off about the 51st state. Just proud, like Molson Canadian commercial proud...I am Canadian!!

Following our Vimy experience, we are now set to head to the most beautiful piece of land in the world in my mind, Thelus cemetery just down from the ridge and where CJ CLue is buried and where TOSH will once again leave its mark on Thelus with our letters for these beautiful souls.  It will soon again be time to introduce a new group of Islanders to Corporal Clue.

    As we pull off the road on N17 I start to get some of the same emotions of the past visits and it's hard to explain.  Bottom line is that I made a promise to someone about 20 years back that every chance I get I would make sure that I tell his story, no matter how brief it is, I am going to tell it.  A hero’s story and it needs to be told and deserves to be told especially at his final resting place. 

    Typically what has happened upon arriving on N17 is that I always like to be the first to get down to the cemetery in order to welcome our group.  Keep in mind I have not been here since 2017 for Vimy 100, and with the state of the world through Covid and such, I have to be honest,  I was unsure if I would ever be back with a group of students.  The trek down the grassy walkway is very serene, just like the cemetery, and I usually keep a fairly quick pace filled with expectation and emotion.  The expectation that I continue to introduce CJ to some new friends and the emotion that always accompany those introductions. 

    Joining us today are Kinkora and Westisle and I am grateful to Ryan and Allan for allowing their kids to be a part of this, it really means a great deal to me.  When I made it down to the cemetery entrance, and I apologized for not taking a picture, the door was ajar and I laughed to myself.  I thought of course, they were expecting me...my heart is always full when I walk in this space.  It is a space where I truly feel my life changed.  That is in no way offensive to my family. Those days of meeting my wife and welcoming my children into the world are truly life changing. This changed my entire professional life and gave me the passion to teach history and tell stories to over 500 students from PEI at this point in my career.  All I ever ask is that I take 15 minutes of their time in Thelus to introduce them to a real hero, CJ CLue from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. A man that I was introduced to 20 years ago, and one who I’ve made a vow to remember his sacrifice while rer-telling the story of his life fighting for king and country.

I never truly remember what I say to the kids who stand in front of me.  I try my best to tell them that CJ is the real reason why they are here.  I was connected to him 20 years ago, and made it my mission to make sure kids remember what took place at Vimy for these Canadians and Canada as a whole, what was sacrificed and what was lost in order for them to be free to do these things today.  Every time I visit I fixate on bringing a gift.  In the past I have left him a loonie and a toonie, a bruins pin my most special gift I  2017 introducing Mya to CJ for the first time.  Mad and Julie will be next in the list, just need to get that one planned. 

 I tell the students that every day is a gift and therefore simply being present in today and allowing me to introduce them to CJ and other soldiers buried here is a gigantic gift,one that they may only truly understand at the advanced age of 54!!!  I am never sure how many more times I will be given the opportunity to tell these stories and the promise I made will continue as long as I can!!!

Emotions are running high at this point and I truly try to keep my composure but I harken back to 1917 and think about what these young men must have been going through in the last few minutes of their lives, it always happens here and it is powerful.  The words “Thank you” run through my mind,  but I know I need to finish and let them have the same experiences with their soldiers.  I leave off by extending my gift of a  letter to CJ that I will leave with you, as well as the pin I was gifted from the Royal Canadian Legion after speaking at Remembrance Day at the CUP a number of years back and a Vimy pilgrimage pin that was gifted to me back in2011 while attending Remembrance Day at Vimy with another student group in France.  

The journey to visit Thelus and see an old friend for 2025 is personally complete.  Now it is my time to sit and watch the students pay reverence to their soldiers.  Many do grave rubbings and many simply sit in front of their soldiers quietly and peacefully.  The lineup to sign the book of remembrance is long and I am so filled with pride that the torch is being passed and they are getting it, these kids do get it and they will pass on these stories for years to come.  The memories of these young men will not wither and die, they will be told for another generation.  Heart full!!!!

From the emotional time in Thelus we head to my favorite country(other than Canada of course), Belgium, as we enter the Passchendaele area and their memorial museum.  This unassuming museum is a reminder of the horrors of war that were paschendale in WWI.  The museum simply resembles an older typical European home with a large garden and pond, which doubled as a beautiful walking area and park.  You will see later that a few of us found the worlds best ice cream, Ellen the ice cream professional agrees.

The museum starts off by recounting what took place in the area during times of war.  Statues and pictures from the time set up in the various rooms of the house.  Maps showing the advancing German army and the images depicting the area before and after this conflict.  But it was not until you descend under ground, below the house do you really realize what the war was like over 100 years ago.

Steep narrow steps that extend fairly deeply below the house take you into tunnels and areas where soldiers would live when not directly on the front line.  The kids were amazed by the accurate description of the horrors of war and the magnitude of despair and destruction that took place in the area, not just for the soldiers but for the townspeople of this town Zonnebeke. 

After the museum we have some time to finally just laze around in the shade and enjoy this 28C day before heading to the hotel back in France.   Yes we are border hopping for today and tomorrow, back and forth from France to Belgium. Supper time back in Lille is chicken and chips(fries) and the kids are happy and full.  A couple of hours to sit in the terrace before bed with kids, playing cards and learning their language and by 10ish we are all ready for bed.  Chat soon…