Canadian Military History Guide - Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia 154 Situated on top of a gentle rise just a few kilometers inland from the Normandy coast in France is Beny sur Mer Canadians War Cemetery. Once a corner of a farmer’s field, it is now the final resting place for 2048 soldiers and airmen, mostly all Canadian. Killed in the days and weeks following the Allied D-Day invasion on 6 June 1944. Among the scores of maple leaf-etched headstones is that of Arthur Bouchard, a private from le Regiment de la Chaudiere, age 28. The inscription on his headstone, selected by his parents and wife read, “LE DERNIER CADEAU DE L’AMOUR SOUVENIR” (love’s last gift – remembrance). Simply stated, the inscription is a powerful reminder of the very least every Canadian should do – remember Private Bouchard and the more than 100,000 Canadians killed in the service of Canada, in war and in peace. But howwell do we remember? With each passing year, the wars of living memory slip increasingly closer to the stuff of history books and the currency of historians.When you consider that the number of Canadian Second World War veterans is well below 30,000 now and decreasing rapidly with each passing month, the day will come when there are no more. Those comrades of Private Bouchard who came home and are still with is, have an average age of 95. The average age for the Korean War is 88. Anyone who attends, Remembrance Day ceremonies each 11 November can tell you that the ranks of old soldiers grow thin. Certainly there is no shortage of material available. Major First and SecondWorldWar anniversaries and commemorations abroad are widely covered HowWell DoWe Remember?
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