THOSE WERE THE DAYS “History Should Be Saved”
A few months ago, Chinese alleged spy balloons crossed over Canada and parts of the United States. Media seemed perplexed, politicians did not know how to handle this invasive demonstration and many alarmed citizens were asking, “how could this happen?” How? It is surprising many Canadians are unaware of Canada’s involvement in World War II.
Between November 1944 and April 1945 Japan sent over 9000 hydrogen balloons at high altitude following the Pacific Ocean jet stream headed for North America. Each balloon was thirty-five feet in diameter carrying two eleven pound incendiary bombs ascending and descending via a combination of attached sand bags. The Japanese named this device “Fu-Go”. The object of the incendiary balloons was to cause chaos by setting many urban and forest fires forcing men and women to protect their homeland rather than join the military.
Countless balloons fell on Canadian and United States soil with little or no damage although, a Sunday school teacher and five students in Oregon were on a picnic and discovered one of the devices, when they investigated the bomb exploded sadly killing all six.
Yes, Canada was attacked by Japan which included a Japanese submarine shelling a Vancouver Island light house. The Germans however were much more daring in penetrating Canadian defenses during World War Two.
I was truly honoured to be an essay judge for the elementary students Legion Remembrance Day contest. To my dismay only a few schools participated and when I asked why, was informed “some teachers did not want to glorify war”. World War One 60,000 Canadian military gave their lives. World War Two, 44,090 deaths, 24,525 Army, 17,397 Royal Canadian Air Force, 2,168 Royal Canadian Navy, 8,000 missing. Do those numbers sound like war is being glorified?
It is disturbing to know few Canadians and almost none of the new men and women just entering our great country have any knowledge of how Canada defended our own soil during the second world war.
From May to October 1942, all of September 1943 and October/November 1944 in what is known as the Battle of the St. Lawrence River, only a few hundred miles from where we live, German U Boats sunk twenty merchant ships bound for European shores and four Royal Canadian Navy war ships which resulted in the loss of many brave men and women.
There are also records of U Boats landing spies to gauge our weather and of course to inform U Boats of pending prey. There were several German prisoner of war camps in Canada and U Boats often surfaced to pick up fleeing escapees.
I am not being critical of those who have little knowledge of World War Two after all, it may even be their desire not wanting to know anything about world conflicts and that in itself is understandable. For me, it was and is different, I grew up during that horrible war and was old enough to comprehend the vastness and destructiveness of such a conflict. Many believe, and I agree, that every event in all our wars should be taught in schools, good, bad, or indifferent, this is Canada’s history and history should be saved.
Russ Sanders epigram@nexicom.net
