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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Friday, November 8, 2013 | 6 Editorial Once again, it's time to remember... but Remembrance Day is so much more than that. It's not a moment of silence in our busy lives, or a prayer for those who are gone. It is about appreciating sacri ces made for our bene t and learning from the past. It is a time to feel pride for our country, for the values we, as a nation, hold dear and for the efforts of our ancestors and those who continue to make sacri ces today. We need to give thanks to our veterans because without them, we could now be a very different country. They lost friends and family and far too many lost their lives. They fought and died for freedom. We wear poppies near our hearts to demonstrate that our veterans hold a special place in our hearts and we recognize we must never forget their effort. We remember the importance of all the contributions and sacri ces made, and the many lives lost, to secure and ensure our freedom today. Equally as important, we must pass this on to our children. While the two World Wars are but a history lesson for young Canadians today, we should consider it a privilege to pay tribute to our veterans of those wars and all subsequent con icts. We must support those engaged in war and peacekeeping missions today, along with their families, and pray for their safe return. And, this too, must be explained to our children. We enjoy living in a country that is peaceful, offers abundant opportunities, respect for all of its citizens and the freedom to live our lives. Freedom is priceless. Our veterans, past and present, carry that knowledge and we should, too. They have and do risk their lives to defend it. Our children should learn that. To all our service people, we offer you our deepest respect and sincerest thanks. We must never take for granted what our veterans accomplished. The soldiers who fought and died in those battles, along with countless others, left a legacy of security we enjoy today. Our veterans made personal sacri ces and put their lives on the line -- for us. We owe our veterans a debt that we can never repay. A `thank you' is not enough, but it's a start. The best we can hope to ever achieve in expressing our gratitude is when those few remaining world war veterans or those engaged in maintaining peace today, look into the eyes of present and future generations and see respect and appreciation for the lives they enjoy today. "Connected to your Community" Lessons to heed Letter to the Editor 447 Speers Road, Oakville ON, L6K 3S4 General Inquiries: (905) 845-3824 Editorial Department: (905) 632-0588 Classi ed Advertising: (905) 632-4440 Circulation: 5300 Harvester Rd., Burlington (905) 631-6095 Volume 51 | Number 134 The Oakville Beaver is a division of Lt.-Col. Duane Hickson of Oakville, right, leads the Lorne Scots, Peel, Dufferin and Halton Regiment. Hickson is a veteran of Afghanistan and his name appears on Oakville's Wall of Veterans (above). | photos courtesy The Lorne Scots, Peel, Dufferin and Halton Regiment Editorial and advertising content of the Oakville Beaver is protected by copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited. Vice ­President and Group Publisher of Metroland West Regional General Manager Halton Region Editor in Chief Advertising Director NEIL OLIVER Lorne Scots regiment heroes at home and away Once a year, we gather to pay our respects to the soldiers, sailors and air crews that gave their lives in the pursuit of victory in the wars, con icts and operations in which Canada has engaged -- from the First and Second World Wars, peacekeeping missions of the United Nations and NATO, and most recently Afghanistan. Although they are eternally grateful for the respect given to them every Remembrance Day, their contributions have far exceeded what is known to the average Canadian. They have been the focus of both pride and scrutiny, but every one of them is human, with their own unique and amazing story. Not only are they some of the world's best war ghters, but the Canadian Army also ensures the world is a better place for everyone by sending soldiers out on humanitarian and peace keeping missions around the globe. Coming into the spotlight in recent years are the Army Reserves. Often burdened by a lack of publicity, the Canadian Army Reserve has brought great credit to the Canadian Army. Answering the call to go to far off lands, they also maintain lives here at home, as regular everyday people; some may even be your neighbour. They are soldiers on the front line in the conicts around the globe, but here at home they are bankers, re ghters, police of cers, crime scene investigators, emergency management experts, teachers, students, pilots, contractors, apprentices, store managers, electricians and volunteers. These people are quite diverse. While American media often portrays their own Army Reservists as nearly incompetent, the Canadians have proven to be far from it, often envied for their diverse experience. Canadian Army Reservists who have deployed on peacekeeping missions have proven to be uniquely skilled at communicating with the populations and gathering intelligence from the locals. Their unique skill sets are invaluable to the Army as a whole. Close to home is the Lorne Scots Regiment, they live and work in the regions of Halton and Peel-Dufferin. The Regiment, one of the oldest in Canada, has served in almost every con ict the Canadian Army has engaged in. From homeland defence in the War of 1812, the Battle of Detroit and the Battle of Queenston Heights; to Afghanistan, where nearly 50 citizen soldiers have served in the past 12 years. They are the front line in homeland defence, and often the front line in foreign con icts. The Lorne Scots have served here since before the communities they serve were incorporated. Here at home, they train and serve in Oakville, Mississauga, Brampton, Halton Hills, Milton and Dufferin County, and have done so since the days the rst settlers took up arms in the defence of their homes. Honour and tradition are rooted deep in their heritage. In ancient Rome, victorious armies were given the Freedom of the City, which was the right for the Regiment to march down the city streets with drums and weapons. The tradition still carries on in modern day armies around the world, the Lorne Scots have the honour of the Freedom of the Cities of Oakville, Brampton, Halton Hills, Milton, Toronto and the communities of Dufferin County. For obvious reasons, their weapons are not loaded; nor do they just march down the main street without at least co-ordinating with municipal of cials and the police. Front and centre is Lt.-Col. Duane Hickson CD of Oakville, who leads this extraordinary Regiment. A veteran of 25 years in the Canadian Army and a veteran of operations in Afghanistan, Lt.-Col. Hickson is the mark of professionalism see Army on p.7 DAVID HARVEY JILL DAVIS DANIEL BAIRD Managing Editor ANGELA BLACKBURN RIZIERO VERTOLLI Photography Director Business Manager Director of Production SANDY PARE MARK DILLS MANUEL GARCIA Production Manager Director of Distribution CHARLENE HALL KIM MOSSMAN Circulation Manager Proud official media sponsor for: Canadian Circulations Audit Board Member Recognized for Excellence by Ontario Community Newspapers Association Canadian Community Newspapers Association Proud official media sponsor for: The Oakville Beaver welcomes letters from its readers. Letters will be edited for clarity, length, legal considerations and grammar. In order to be published all letters must contain the name, address and phone number of the author. Letters should be addressed to: The Editor, Oakville Beaver, 467 Speers Rd., Oakville ON, L6K 3S4, or via e-mail to; ablackburn@oakvillebeaver.com. The Beaver reserves the right to refuse to publish a letter. The Oakville Beaver is a member of the Ontario Press Council. The council is located at 80 Gould St., Suite 206, Toronto, Ont., M5B 2M7. Phone 416-340-1981. Advertising is accepted on the condition that, in the event of a typographical error, that portion of advertising space occupied by the erroneous item, together with a reasonable allowance for signature, will not be charged for, but the balance of the advertisement will be paid for at the applicable rate. The publisher reserves the right to categorize advertisements or decline.