November 12, 2025
Yesterday, across North America, we paused to remember. We wore poppies, attended ceremonies, and bowed our heads in silence for the soldiers who never returned, and for those who carry the scars of war to this day. But as we stand in the quiet of remembrance, it’s worth asking: Do we truly understand what those soldiers—especially the young ones—faced a century ago?
Today, the idea of sending a 16-, 17-, or even 18-year-old into a war zone is almost unthinkable. Modern society recognizes the vulnerability of youth, the psychological toll of combat, and the irreversible impact of trauma. Yet, during World War I and World War II, teenagers and young adults were not only sent to the front lines—they were expected to endure the unimaginable.
On D-Day, June 6, 1944, thousands of young Canadians, many barely out of their teens, stormed Juno Beach as part of the 8th Canadian Infantry Brigade. Their mission: to secure an 8-kilometre stretch of coastline under relentless enemy fire. Paratroopers had already landed behind German lines after midnight, tasked with destroying artillery positions and capturing bridges. The beaches were lined with fortified German bunkers, perched at high vantage points, ready to rain down destruction on anyone who moved.
Can you picture it? Young men, some still boys, wading through icy water, weighed down by gear, as machine guns cut through their ranks. The history books tell us they overcame, they secured the beach—but at what cost?
Why Did They Fight?
The causes of World War II are well-documented: the rise of Nazism in Germany, Fascism in Italy, and Militarism in Japan. The invasion of Poland by Nazi Germany in 1939 triggered the war, and the attack on Pearl Harbour in 1941 drew the United States into the conflict. But for the soldiers on the ground, the reasons were both more straightforward and more profound. They fought for their countries, for their families, for freedom, and for the belief that someone had to stop the spread of tyranny.
Many veterans, when asked about their service, downplay their actions. “I didn’t do anything significant,” they say. But history tells a different story. The young soldiers of the World Wars faced horrors that would break most of us today. They endured trench warfare and the constant threat of death. They watched friends fall beside them. They carried on, not because they were unafraid, but because they had to.
Today, as tensions rise and the shadow of global conflict looms, it’s more important than ever to remember the lessons of the past. The ideologies that fueled the World Wars—militarism, fascism, and extreme nationalism—are not relics of history. They persist, and in some places, they are resurgent. The persistence of misinformation, rumours, and disinformation is pushing us toward a war.
We owe it to those who fought, and to those who continue to serve, to understand their sacrifices. We must ask ourselves: Are we doing enough to prevent future generations from facing the same horrors? Are we teaching our children the value of peace, the cost of war, and the importance of standing against oppression?
This Remembrance Day, let’s not just wear a poppy. Let’s commit to learning, to remembering, and to ensuring that the courage of those young soldiers was not in vain.
