For My Many Canadian Friends,
In Honor of Their Remembrance Day
Music: Young Man from Canada
“He epitomized the sadness,
The waste of the Great War,
And certainly, the casualties.”
Tim Cook,
World War I Historian
Dawn was breaking on November 11, 1918
His brave regiment was in a Belgian town
Rumors of a ceasefire, among these troops
After four bloody years with death all around
Now, enemy troops had been retreating
These men all prayed for this war to end
They were told to ‘stay hunkered down’
Until the official ‘End of War’ was sent
Some say, that he just could not wait, one second longer
Some say, he stood up to wave to a woman, high overhead
Whatever the reason, George Price stepped out, that morning
A German sniper’s shot now rang out, and soon, Price was dead
This very heroic 25-year old Canadian farmer, turned soldier
Had been struck down on November 11th, at about 10:58 A.M.
Two minutes later, the Armistice was signed at the eleventh hour
Of the eleventh day, of the eleventh month – and WWI did end
In all, some 620,000 brave Canadian soldiers had served in WWI
And over 60,000 of them had died in battle, and never returned home
To George Lawrence Price, the very last Allied soldier killed in action
And to all the other valiant soldiers who perished, I dedicate this poem
Fifty Years Later,
On November 11, 1968,
Price’s comrades erected a plaque
In that old Belgian town, which reads:
"To the memory of George Lawrence Price of the 28th North West Battalion,
6th Canadian Infantry Brigade, 2nd Canadian Division,
Killed in action near this spot, at 10.58 hours, November 11th, 1918:
The last Canadian soldier to die on the Western Front in the First World War."
This Plaque of Remembrance to Canadian Private Price,
Is ironically located within just a half a mile of where
The very first soldier had fallen in WWI, in August 1914;
And both of these valiant soldiers lie in the same cemetery.
©2008, Mr. Ed
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My dad was in WW11 and used to tell me stories about the war. He was a great storyteller and I could invison what he told me! Am sure he must have made up some of it, but a child accepts it a gospel!....M
Lest we forget.
Dave.
Peace, love, and light, and to our Canadian heroes.
Amber "V"
War is also Hell . . . exceptional my friend!!
Lance
God Bless,
Lew
(((HUGS))) and love, Karla.
Sandie Angel :o(
May there never ever be wars again, but then I guess I'm dreaming?
Love and blessings! Jasmin Horst
Newfie Hugs, Rose
Semper Fi
Georg