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I read with emotions the September 10, 2011 Ottawa Sun article entitled "Remembering the Canadians" in which Beechwood Cemetery family services counsellor Tania Turpin recalls how she started with the idea of keeping the memory of the 23 Canadians killed on 9/11 alive.
Twenty-two died while they were trapped in the north and south towers of New York's World Trade Centre and one in a plane on that terrible day. They are among the over three thousand civilians and service men/women who perished during the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. Because of Ms. Turpin's idea and efforts, a memorial was built at Beechwood in memory of the 23 victims.
Now, Canadians might not always agree with some of our powerful neighbour's foreign policies and military actions. I think that's fair and healthy, for we are a sovereign nation. But when it comes to fighting terrorist attacks on North American soil from within or without, the two peoples definitely have agreements in principle, if not in exact details. The 9/11 memorial at Beechwood serves as a reminder of our shared past experience, painful as it might be, and the future of our two countries.
As well, Beechwood is the National Military Cemetery for many women and men who served with the RCMP and the Canadian Forces, including Trooper Karine Blais to whom I paid tribute in the form of a blog article after she had been killed on April 13, 2009 in Afghanistan.
On a personal level, Beechwood is where my father is resting and that is where my mother will eventually join him.
So in more than one way, Beechwood Cemetery is a place of my heart and it will remain so on September 11, 2011, the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, as well as the days beyond.
(Update 20150911: According to HuffingtonPost, the 9/11 attack killed 26 Canadians, here are their names: http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2011/09/06/list-of-canadians-killed-911-sept-11-terrorist-attack_n_949877.html ; The official number is 24 based on a campaign speech delivered by Prime Minister Stephen Harper on Sept 11, 2015 at Victoriaville, Quebec: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/harper-discusses-national-security-live-at-9-30-a-m-et-1.2867156?cmp=rss )
Photo Credit:
* Top: I took this photo while visiting the Beechwood Cemetery on Feb 22, 2011 at around 15h07. The 9/11 memorial is on the left and the National Military Cemetery sign on the right.
* Bottom: Sept 10, 2011 Ottawa Sun
Twenty-two died while they were trapped in the north and south towers of New York's World Trade Centre and one in a plane on that terrible day. They are among the over three thousand civilians and service men/women who perished during the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. Because of Ms. Turpin's idea and efforts, a memorial was built at Beechwood in memory of the 23 victims.
Now, Canadians might not always agree with some of our powerful neighbour's foreign policies and military actions. I think that's fair and healthy, for we are a sovereign nation. But when it comes to fighting terrorist attacks on North American soil from within or without, the two peoples definitely have agreements in principle, if not in exact details. The 9/11 memorial at Beechwood serves as a reminder of our shared past experience, painful as it might be, and the future of our two countries.
As well, Beechwood is the National Military Cemetery for many women and men who served with the RCMP and the Canadian Forces, including Trooper Karine Blais to whom I paid tribute in the form of a blog article after she had been killed on April 13, 2009 in Afghanistan.
On a personal level, Beechwood is where my father is resting and that is where my mother will eventually join him.
So in more than one way, Beechwood Cemetery is a place of my heart and it will remain so on September 11, 2011, the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, as well as the days beyond.
(Update 20150911: According to HuffingtonPost, the 9/11 attack killed 26 Canadians, here are their names: http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2011/09/06/list-of-canadians-killed-911-sept-11-terrorist-attack_n_949877.html ; The official number is 24 based on a campaign speech delivered by Prime Minister Stephen Harper on Sept 11, 2015 at Victoriaville, Quebec: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/harper-discusses-national-security-live-at-9-30-a-m-et-1.2867156?cmp=rss )
Photo Credit:
* Top: I took this photo while visiting the Beechwood Cemetery on Feb 22, 2011 at around 15h07. The 9/11 memorial is on the left and the National Military Cemetery sign on the right.
* Bottom: Sept 10, 2011 Ottawa Sun
Sent from BlackBerry
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Related Articles:
* SUNDAY, MAY 01, 2011
紀念在九一一事件中喪生的加拿大人 / In Remembrance of the Canadians Lost During the 9/11 Attack http://lotusandcedar.blogspot.com/2011/05/in-remembrance-of-canadians-lost-during.html
* SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2010
記念九一一襲擊事件: 必治活國家墳場 / Remembering the 9/11 Terrorist Attack: Beechwood National Cemetery http://lotusandcedar.blogspot.com/2010/09/911.html
* SUNDAY, APRIL 19, 2009
靈魂之窗: 加拿大士兵与阿富汗女孩 / Windows to the Souls: Karine Blais & Sharbat Gula http://lotusandcedar.blogspot.com/2009/04/windows-to-souls-karine-blais-sharbat.html
* Wikipedia: 必治活加拿大國家公墓 Beechwood National Cemetery
2 comments:
23 canadians died at ground zero on site and 157 + 4 canadians died in afghannistan。
http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/afghanistan/casualties/list.html
http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/CanadaAM/20070824/online_petition_070824/
SBB:
Thanks for the two links.
I note that the CNN map and list have more info than the CBC one.
I see clips of the Highway of Heroes on TV but have never been there myself.
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