The first day Canada declared war against Germany didn’t come as a surprise to me. Everyone was making too much of a fuss out of it. I mean, c’mon. Hitler had already raised an army illegally, tore up the treaty of Versailles, and took over several areas of Europe including Austria and Czechoslovakia. The way I saw it, the media only wanted to find something to talk about and generate money. They followed everything extremely closely, turning every political conversation into a speech, and every political movement into an apocalyptic one. Informing us on political movements were good enough, but were guesses and predictions on what Germans are doing really necessary?
As for joining, I should have listened to my father. He had joined World War 1 and would have known all about it. War is horrible, and I was too blind to see that. I only cared about being with my friends and signing up to be a soldier; a paratrooper specifically. I mean after all, which one sounded more attractive to a teenager, a job at a desk, or one where jump off a plane with the thrill of landing in enemy territory with your friends?
I thought being a paratrooper with my friends would be fun. How wrong I was...
Well as a young teenager, sitting in the office for me seemed boring, I wanted to see the world and explore and live life to the fullest. I would have to say dealing with weapons
ReplyDeleteActually, I didn't like the idea of going into war at all. Yea the guns and the travelling seemed quite promising, but I knew the reality as my father and brother fought in WW1 who lived to tell the horrible tale. I had no intentions of joining this barbaric nonsense. But just out of hatred and revenge... I joined in the end.
ReplyDeletePropaganda really attracted me to join, with all the positive things it advertised I really thought I would have it all if I joined. But unfortunately, they don't include all the negatives war had to offer...But nonetheless, the posters were garbage, all the stuff it advertised were merely just a bait for us little fishes to hook on to. Especially for my battle, 'UNITED WE WILL WIN' - shame...This did not come to play with the raid I went to. My Generals sent me and my friends out there just to give Canadians a taste of what war was...Thousands died that day of Operation Rutter and it was all because someone wanted us to 'taste' war? Preposterous! If we were really united, why didn't they join us?
ReplyDeletePt. Alvin, you were very lucky. You heeded your loving and caring family members' words and stayed away from war. I find it was extremely unfortunate and unfair that the cruel hand of fate had brought you into the war anyway.
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