November has rolled around, and the first day of the 11th month marks a special occasion for me, the day that I pin a poppy to my chest.
The McCracken family boasts a history of military involvement, as my great-grandfathers Merrick Rennie McCracken and Ole Enger, my grandfather Angus McCracken and my father Garry McCracken have all served as members of the Canadian Armed Forces.
While I chose not to follow in the same footsteps, I still carry with me an unwavering respect for all of those who have put their lives on the line in service of our country.
My great grandfather Maj. Merrick Rennie McCracken was the most decorated of the bunch. Merrick served as a member of the Canadian Military Engineers in World War I and II, and died on Jan. 26, 1945.
In his service for Canada, Merrick fought at the infamous battle of Passchendaele, and was awarded with a collection of medals for his continued service including, but not limited to, the 1914-1918 War Medal, the 1939-1945 War Medal, the Victory Medal and Oak Leaf Cluster, the Canada Defense Medal, the Military Cross, the bar to the Military Cross and the Military Medal.
In military records, it was stated by one of his commanding officers that he was awarded with the Military Medal “during the period of heavy bombardment from April 6 - 10, 1916 for conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty under shell fire repairing broken wires. For six-to-eight hours on each of three consecutive nights, he remained in the heavily shelled area repairing wires and it was due to his coolness and untiring energy that communications to battalions were maintained.”
While I never had the pleasure of knowing my great-grandfathers, I hold their sacrifices for our country in the highest regard, and use this month of November to honour their service both to my family and to our country by wearing a poppy above my heart.
Whether or not you are personally connected with members of the Canadian Forces, I urge each and every one of you not only to wear your poppy this week, but to wear it with pride. When you stop to reflect at 11 a.m. on November 11, think of everything in your life that you are thankful for, and realize that it was made possible by the countless men and women who died in service for each and every one of us.
