Omar Bainto

REMEMBRANCE DAY MEMORIES

Remembrance Day in our home was a very special time for my father and me. My late grandfather, who participated in the underground resistance movement against the Japanese occupation of the Philippines in WWII, influenced my father to become a cadet since he was eleven. After cadets, he joined the Armed Forces of the Philippines and then with the Canadian Forces Militia when he came to Canada. That is the reason why it is very important for my family to remember those who risked and sacrificed their lives for our freedom. My family has always made an effort to attend a Remembrance Day ceremony somewhere in Calgary, and I have never missed a Remembrance Day Ceremony.

In my younger years, it was difficult for me to understand the meaning of the ceremonies we attended, faintly recall the downtown cenotaph in front of the old Colonel Belcher Hospital. When I was around 3 years old, my father dressed me for the –20 degree Celsius weather on that particular Remembrance Day. I remember the camouflage beret he gave me to wear and how carefully he pinned a poppy on it. It is a very special memory for me to look back at the photos taken that day. People who gathered at the services were tolerant of my curiosity and somewhat restless behaviour. I was one of the few little children attending those services. My father was very patient and taught me to be respectful to others, especially the veterans and other officials who gathered to remember. I remember the mayor and the two ex-mayors of Calgary being present and the so still Cenotaph Guards. There were many wreaths being laid in honour of the fallen and surviving veterans. Year after year, photos were placed in albums as Remembrance Day memories for me.

Remembrance Day Parade, Calgary, Alberta: November 11, 2007. Sgt Omar Bainto represented the Air Cadets, in the Flag PartyWhen I became a Navy League Cadet at the age of 10, a whole new set of memories began. Our corps was sponsored by the Chapelhow Legion 284 and there, for the next 2 years, we had our Remembrance Day ceremonies. This was the first time I had the honour to assist in laying a wreath for those who did not make it back from the war. Photos of the special occasion were priceless. At such a young age, I learned that Remembrance Day meant even more now that I am a cadet. When I joined the Air Cadets, my former squadron participated at the Remembrance Day Ceremonies at the Calgary International Airport to give the travellers a chance to remember our fallen heroes and veterans who made the ultimate sacrifices for our freedom. I look forward every year to Remembrance Day and the memories I will take with me. It is such an important lesson that we can pass on to the next generation. It is very important for us as cadets to lead our peers by attending the Remembrance Day ceremonies to show our gratitude to those who risked and sacrificed their lives to preserve our freedom.

Lest we forget

©Copyright November 2007 by Omar Bainto