Vimy, France

He gave everything including his name. He died on the muddy battlefield in France more than eighty years ago and because of that we know little of this man. He is Canada's Unknown Soldier and the nation welcomed him home with dignity last May and laid him to rest in a tomb in front of the National War memorial. It is a powerful story, but it does not end with the funeral; it endures so long as we- and generations to come- remember his symbolic sacrifice and pause long enough every day to think about the hope and the fear associated with preserving the kind of peace and freedom he fought and died for.

The tomb of the Unknown Soldier is a visible reminder of the young soldiers, sailors and airmen who died for Canada in pursuit of peace and freedom. And like many who served, our Unknown soldier is nameless , but from his resting place he has a face. It is the face of sacrifice.

Yesterday's, today's and tomorrow's.

Listen children to a story
That was written long ago
'Bout a Kingdom on a Mountain
And the Valley Folk below

On the Mountain was a treasure
Buried deep beneath a stone
And the Valley people swore
They'd have it for their very own.

chorus

Go ahead and hate your neighbor,
Go ahead and cheat a friend.
Do it in the name of heaven,
Justify it in the end.
There won't be any trumpets blowin'
Come the Judgement Day
On the bloody morning after.
One tin soldier rides away.

So the People of the Valley
Sent a message up the hill
Asking for the buried treasure
Tons of gold for which they'd kill

Came an answer from the Kingdom
"With our brothers we will share
All the secrets of our Mountain,
All the riches buried there."

chorus

Now the Valley cried with anger
"Mount your horses, draw your sword!"
And they killed the Mountain People
So they won their just reward
Now they stood beside the treasure
On the Mountain, dark and red
Turned the stone and looked beneath it
"Peace on Earth" was all it said.

chorus

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Oct.9/2000