Courage Under Fire

 Alvie Burden came from Saskatchewan, and served in the European theatre during the Second World War, seeing action in Italy and the Netherlands.

Piercey Augustus Haynes joined the Navy after restrictions were lifted, serving during World War Two.

Eva May Roy went to war in the Second World War as part of the Canadian Women's Army Corps, and later made a career of it. Anderson Abbott was a black doctor who went south to serve with the Union Army during the Civil War.

Clarence Este saw a lifetime of service starting in the Korean War, and carrying on with various missions in the years afterwards. Jowel Fils-Aime saw peacekeeping and active duty operations around the world, but PTSD led him to take his life. The Carty brothers all served in the RCAF during the Second World War.

Black men and women have taken part in many of Canada's military history, from the Revolution to the War of 1812 and the Civil War.

They fought with distinction in two World Wars that changed the world.

And they have done the same ever since.

I found this exhibit very well curated. One of the strengths of the War Museum is telling the very human stories of individuals.

Service To The Nation

Back in May I made a stop at the Canadian War Museum, where a temporary exhibit was up in the central hub, profiling black Canadians in military service down through time.

This was done in cooperation with a museum in the Niagara area and a historical society in Nova Scotia. After the American Revolution, black Loyalists came north, and escaped slaves, making new lives in the Canadian colonies.

This is part of the citation for Stephen Thomas, who won the Medal of Bravery during the Afghan War.

Richard Pierpoint had been enslaved as a teen, but gained his freedom fighting as part of Butler's Rangers during the Revolution. He settled in Canada after that war, and served again in the War of 1812. The Coloured Corps was a militia of black volunteers who organized during that latter war.

William John Chandler went south during the Civil War to fight for the Union, losing an arm in the process, but returned to Canada and lived a long life with his family. John Bright fought in the ferociousness of World War One at places like Mount-Sorrel and Passchendaele, killed in action in the last year of that war.

Connie and Kathleen Brown were sisters who went to war in the Second World War in support roles in the Canadian military. Junius Hokan was one of Canada's first black pilots in that war, but never made it home.

David Johnson fought in the Korean War and went on to serve afterwards. Stephen Thomas served with distinction in the Afghan War.

There is a rich black history in Nova Scotia, starting with the Loyalists after the American Revolution.

William Hall was serving with a British naval gun crew in India and won the Victoria Cross for his bravery under fire. Jeremiah Jones enlisted in the First World War at a time when most men would be looking to retire, and saw action at Vimy Ridge.

The No. 2 Construction Battalion was made up of black men during the First World War, doing physical labour. They faced prejudice and neglect throughout. William White, whose parents had been enslaved, was their chaplain and advocate for fair treatment.

In recent years, the government made a point of a formal apology to the men of the No. 2 Construction Battalion.

Minnie Gray served during the Second World War in the Canadian Women's Army Corps, and ended up going into healthcare. Allan Bundy became a pilot during that war for the RCAF.

Joseph Niles saw service during the Korean War. Leo Vemb was more recent, seeing thirty years of service in places like Bosnia, Kosovo, and Afghanistan.

The Victoria Pioneer Rifle Corps was made up of free African-Americans at the invitation of the governor to settle on Vancouver Island in the 19th century. Ebenezer Mortimer, who had played baseball professionally, went to war in 1939, and was thought to have died in combat, but returned home in 1943. Samuel Watts was the first black Canadian from central Alberta to enlist in the Great War, but would not return home.

A Memorial

 Confederation Square is the very heart of the city, and at its heart is the National War Memorial. It is surrounded by landmarks like the Chambers and Parliament Hill to the west, and the National Arts Centre, Government Conference Centre, and Chateau Laurier to the east. On a hot day in May, I approached from the south, where this traffic island was occupied with tulips.

 There are tulips on the grounds of the Memorial, which was first built to honour the dead of the Great War, and then dedicated months before the outbreak of the Second World War. It has been rededicated to honour those who have died in wars and in military service for the country.

Heading off the grounds and to the west, I came across more tulips in planters.

The Bonds Between Countries

 Continuing on where I left off yesterday, the friendship between Canada and the Netherlands, forged in the crucible of war, is as strong as ever.

It includes a history of immigration and tourism between both countries.

It includes the birth of a Dutch princess on Canadian soil during the War; Princess Margriet continues to make visits to the country to this day.

This large scale photo is ideal for photo ops.

There's a Dutch store in Nepean that I go to on a regular basis; they were one of the vendors in the park this year. I popped in, and bought these. I haven't had these cookies in years.

And I bought a biography of Malak Karsh, the landscape photographer who is deemed the father of the festival. It includes many of his photos.