What should Canadians be thinking about on the 75th anniversary of D-Day?
We asked Dr. Marc Milner, Director of UNB’s Gregg Centre for the Study of War and Society, that question.
He wants Canadians to consider the same things they might think about at the cenotaph, how the post-war world built by survivors and those who suffered the loss happened to make Canada a kinder, gentler place and the burden falls on us to do that.
“I tell high school students when you’re standing there in that moment of silence on Remembrance Day and someone says ‘remember the dead’. I don’t know who the dead were, I can’t remember them in the way that we ordinarily remember them so, what I tend to think about are my grandparents and parents and the other people who gave us access to education, access to healthcare and according to the United Nations, one of the best countries in the world to live in.”
Today, #CanadaRemembers the Canadian soldiers who helped turn the tide of the Second World War. https://t.co/gs5w2nTAQl #DDay75 pic.twitter.com/s7CzqAk5ih
— Prime Minister of Canada (@CanadianPM) June 6, 2019
Milner says the responsibility remains for those of us who are here today.
“When you honour the veterans and you honour the dead, the burden that comes down to you is to keep making Canada one of the best places to raise a family in the world. And that’s something we have to do every day.” Milner said.
D-Day 75th Anniversary.
We will remember them. #CanadaRemembers pic.twitter.com/UR30VPIuKQ— Stonehammer Geopark (@StonehammerGeo) June 6, 2019
We spoke with Dr. Milner last month at The Beaverbrook Art Gallery, during a preview of the new Historica Minute devoted to Major Archie MacNaughton and North Shore New Brunswick Regiment.
